Here Us Out
by cheeses
Summary: The follow on to Surprise Surprise, Jane and Maura have issues to resolve, time wounds relationships as well as heals them? Many twists, if you're looking for the 'Peru' plot it's gone, sorry.
1. Chapter 1

Jane stood by the sink, groggily brushing her teeth in the rhythm of the tap dripping.

Drip, brush

Drip, brush, brush

Drip, brush

This childish form of entertainment was only thing that kept her sane. The past month had been hectic and for once it hadn't been due to work. Kristen and Emma had been waiting for their tenth birthday and nagging Maura about it. In turn Maura had been nagging her.

Jane heard Joe jump of her bed and walk from her room, giving a small bark as she signled for the bedroom door to be opened.

_How long have I been brushing my teeth?_

Jane looked at her reflection, she puzzled to herself.

She rinsed out her mouth and discarded her tooth brush in the designated cup. Jane smirked Maura had bought her that for 'hygiene'. Jane saw nothing wrong with leaving it on the lip of the sink, but to please Maura she'd agreed.

Jane flexed her toes on the cold tile of her bathroom floor, she really needed to get some slippers.

The morning light spilled through the gap in Jane's bedroom curtains, hitting her line of sight, blinding her when she stepped out of her bathroom.

Jane dodged the light quickly to avoid another flash of red and blue dots in front of her eyes and continued to get dressed, not before letting out an impatient Joe.

Her draws screeched as she pulled them open to retrieve clothing to match the day, it seemed cold but sunny. Jane smiled to herself buttoning up a white blouse that she'd plucked from the innards of her wardrobe.

Kristen and Emma had started 5th grade two days ago. She remembered the night before, Maura had rushed around trying to get them new clothes, Kristen had showed a resistance unbeknown to all of them. Jane chuckled at the fact the girl had ran and hid next to Bass for half of the night while Mara tried to get her to try on the clothes.

Jane's phone buzzed, making a loud rattling on her bedside table.

"Rizzoli" she picked up while pulling on a pair of socks.

"_Jane, could you take the girls to school?"_ Maura's voice flooded down.

"A good morning would have been nice" Jane remarked, smirking while she spoke, jamming her phone between left shoulder and left ear.

"When do you want me round?"

"_Now?"_

"They don't go to school until eight"

"_I want you to come around here for breakfast, it's awkward with you living in your apartment"_

"Don't start this again"

"_I'm not starting anything"_

"You are, your going to drop the whole 'if you lived with us'"

"_It would be easier"_

"Maura..."

"_Can you just make your way round?"_  
>"Will do... Maura"<p>

"_Yes Jane"_

"Good morning"  
><em>"Good morning to you too"<em>

With that the two women ended the calls and Jane tossed her phone on to her bed and continued dressing.

"Mom, do you know where my jacket has gone?" Kristen ran past, skidding across the floor happily due to the lack of friction the wooden floor possessed against her socks.

"Don't skid!" Maura scolded snapping her head around from making their lunches.

Emma sat eating contently swinging her legs.

"It's fun" Kristen took a gallant run up and skidded to the door.

"What are you doing?" Maura stopped and eyed Kristen.

"Opening the door, Jane knocked"  
>"How do you do that?" Jane's voice drained in as Kristen opened the door.<p>

"Well you knock hard, three times, other people have a lighter touch" Kristen stated a matter-of-factly.

"Right" Jane noted and hugged her. "Morning kiddo" Jane walked to the kitchen and raised her eyebrows. Maura was happily humming while packing their lunches.

"You look good" Jane winked at Maura and kissed Emma on the forehead.

"Can you two not do that in the place where people eat?" Kristen complained returning from her room clad in a red hoodie with a white zip and toggles.

"I thought we agreed you wont wear that?" Maura sighed and Jane stood back and watched Maura go all motherly. A part of her loved it, the other half still wasn't used to it, even after four years.

"But it's nice"  
>"It's thread bare, you wore that all last year" Maura complained and Jane smirked. "I blame you"<p>

The smirk was wiped of Jane's face.

"Why?" Jane defended her voice rising in pitch.

"You influence them, you always wear those dirty converse at the weekend"

"There comfortable!"

"There gross"

"They work" Jane crossed her arms and winked at Kristen in support. Kristen smiled in return.

"Fine, you can wear it but if I see a hole in it, it's going" Maura warned and cleaned up the plates from breakfast.

Emma slid off the seat and brushed past her sibling.

"Hey, whoa, hold up, you've grown" Jane wafted her hand to stop Emma. The girl grinned smugly at Kristen.

"What?" she shrieked at forced Emma to stand next to her.

Maura rolled her eyes, this had become a common occurrence. They all knew Kristen was going to be taller than Emma, but Jane had grown fond of teasing Kristen about it and constantly saying Emma had advanced in growth faster than Kristen.

"Oh yeah, she's a giant, you midget" Jane mocked levelling their heads with her hand.

"That's politicly uncorrected Jane" Maura crossed her arms.

"What? Oh, I'm supposed to say, you hight challenged individual" Jane dead panned, making Emma giggle.

"I could just say stumpy" Jane shrugged, chuckling. Kristen and Emma joined in laughing at their Mother's facial expression.

"Okay, that's just plain rude and offensive!" Maura warned and Jane walked over to the disgruntled woman. Placing her hand on Maura's hip and the other on the counter trapping the woman, Maura was rendered silent. Jane nuzzled her neck. A mock puking nose sounded from behind them.

"I'm not eating for a week" Kristen announced and dragged her sibling to their room.

"Don't Jane" Maura couldn't help but expose her neck further to Jane's relentless trail of kisses.

"Why?" Jane purred and Maura instinctively wrapped her hands around the back of Jane's neck.

"Because, the girls are in the house, awake and if you continue, they'll be late for school" Maura hummed her words and Jane pressed her lips to the M.E's.

"They can go a day with out education I'm sure" Jane kissed Maura fluidly and ran her hand slowly up the woman thigh, hitching her dress up to stroke the skin that lay under the garment.

"Missing a day off school is proven to... decrease attention... span... education... Jane..."

Jane grinned wickedly at silencing the google mouth and continued tease the M.E.

"What time is it?" Jane nibbled on Maura's ear lobe and glanced over to the clock. "Quarter past seven... we have time"

Maura whimpered and ran a hand through the Detectives hair.

"Jane" Maura leant and whispered in her ear.

"Yeah" Jane planted a long kiss on Maura's lips before letting her finish.

"We have attracted attention" Maura was smiling and Jane around to witness Bass looking at them, with his head lifted staring at them.

"What the hell?" Jane raised one brow and let go of Maura. "Your tortoise is a pervert"

"Maybe he's lonely" Maura's voice became sad. Jane pinched the bridge of her nose.

_Good help me with this woman._

"_Maybe_" Jane gave a look of mock proposal "he wants food" Jane dragged out her words. Maura walked out and patted Bass on his shell.

"I'm ignoring you" she quipped back to Jane who had taken comfort in a mug of coffee and happy distraction from Maura's affair with her tortoise.

Emma came bounding out of her room, bag slung over her shoulder giggling at something.

"Whatcha finding so funny?" Jane asked, stirring her coffee.

Kristen walked up behind her and rolled her eyes.

"A Sloth" Kristen dead panned.

"What?" Maura glanced up from cooing at Bass.

Emma held out a picture of a baby sloth and made puppy eyes.

"I want it" Emma stuck out her bottom lip and jumped up and down. Jane looked at Maura as if to say _this is your problem_ and continued drinking her coffee.

"We'll take you to the zoo" Jane cut in when Maura looked as if she was about to suggest taking her on holiday to get one.

"Jane!"

"What?" Jane looked up and Maura was looking at her like she'd used Bass as a Curling rock.

"They don't have a licence in Franklin Park for a sloth enclosure"

"Well what do you suppose we do?" Jane huffed and set her coffee down.

"Girls, we'll talk about this later" Maura smiled at the pair, Emma was still grinning stupidly at the picture.

"Right now" Jane looked at the clock. "It's time for me to take you to school"


	2. Chapter 2

Maura had positioned herself strategically so she would see Jane walk into the building through the BPD's café window. Angela had made her some fruit tea, knowing Maura's taste was tailored to the cherry and apple flavour than the lemon tea Stanley made her serve, Angela had smuggled it in on 'family favour'.

Maura watched the steam rise in tendrils that could easily be manipulated by a single puff of air.

Maura just hoped that Jane would be that easy, after years of knowing the Detective, the M.E knew it was unlikely.

Angela's voice carried through the early rush hour of doughnuts and coffee. Maura didn't notice Jane stride in until Angela shouted her name over the crowd of Police Officers. Maura's head shot up, her plan had failed.

"Janey" Angela greeted in her thick accent, making a few heads turn to the raven haired Detective. Jane gave a shy wave to her Mother and sat across from Maura, taking in her expression.

"Earth to Google" Jane smirked at her own slightly dysfunctional pun, Maura gave her a weak smile. Jane furrowed her brow.

"Maur..."

"Did the girls get to school okay?" Maura blurted, wrapping her hands around the cup in firm palm hug.

"Yeah, Emma was talking about wanting a sloth for her birthday..." Jane trailed off again when she saw Maura revert back to her 'thinking' face. "Tell me" Jane hushed her voice and Maura fixed her eyes with Jane's.

"I don't know what to do about their birthday" Maura knew it was half the truth, she still had no clue what to do for the girls birthday, but the chunk of truth that Maura decided to not spill was still brewing in the stew of her mind.

"Take them to Disney world?" Jane shrugged, unconvinced by her own words, the suggestion was empty. Maura had gotten her worried.

"They would like that" Maura pondered on the thought but soon sank back to her usual internal banter. Kristen had worn a red Mickey Mouse woollen sweater for around about a year after Jane had given it to her for her 7th birthday, Emma had gotten a green Goofy one. It had become thread bare due to the amount of times Maura had washed it.

"We're not having another 7th Birthday" Maura quipped, that term had stuck for something that Kristen relentlessly wore.

"I think she just likes the colour red" Jane noted and looked around, the café was still buzzing with life.

"I think we should talk somewhere less... busy" Maura bit on the inside of her cheek and Jane nodded, getting up and waiting for Maura to follow.

The morgue whirred, the only life being the two women and the sound of the generator.

"You've got me worried Maur" Jane stood with her arms crossed looking expectantly at the M.E.

"I want to know why you resist to live with me..." Maura guiltily mumbled and gulped down the lump in her throat, she knew Jane was touchy about the subject.

Jane sucked in a breath.

_You had to bring this up. Why Maura? Damn woman. _

"I've still not told Ma about us..."  
>"Jane" Maura sighed out her words in frustration. "She already knows, she guessed after two months! Jane it's been four years"<p>

"_What_" Jane's eyes widened like two saucers had been slammed into her eye sockets.

"She's fine with us being together... she been waiting for you to tell her and only you" Maura's voice calmed. Jane felt a wave of guilt stab her gut, then anger sugar coated it.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Jane's voice rose. The pair had their fair share of arguments time to time, but Jane could see this one resulting in her being locked in her apartment for a week.

"I'm not entirely sure, the moment never arose" Maura franticly huffed.

"Never _arose_? It's been..." Jane charged head on.

"Don't try and blame me Jane Rizzoli"

Jane felt her insides shrink. Full name, she was in trouble. When Maura used it, it seemed more like an Atom Bomb in comparison to child hood cringes where her Ma would shout it down the street in a shrill tone that could only be described as the 'dropping' of the bomb... now the bomb had dropped.

Jane silenced and pressed her mouth into a thin line, even though her mind was screaming for her to fight back, her heart was sinking to the pit of her stomach.

_Fine, I admit, I should have told her, but really? You kept that fact from me! FUCK YOU MAURA_

Jane dropped her gaze at her internal ranting, she'd just told Maura to fuck off, even mentally it was killing her the regret of that single string of words.

"It's your..." Maura made a pained face trying to find the words.

_She wont live with you, she wont tell anyone about the relationship, becouse of that damn ego... four years._

"You're a coward" Maura slammed her hand across her mouth.

_Look what you've gone and done Maura, good one._

Jane twitched, but remained still. Maura took this as a bad sign.

"Coward" Jane nodded, letting the term slide off her tongue with bitter disgust. Jane rolled her jaw and gritted her teeth.

"I'm the one who shot a bullet through my _own_ body, I'm the one who had the guts to tell _you_ Claire had died. I'm the fucking one who loves you. I am scared all the time of loosing you but I'm _brave _enough to do fucking stupid things to put myself in danger to protect _you!_" Jane's voice was raspy and pained, breaking at every stressed word. Maura felt tears well up, she couldn't stop their natural course. Jane's anger had radiated around the room long enough to soak into the walls.

"Get out Jane" Maura stated, her voice shaky.

Jane was visibly shaking with rage.

"Just becouse I wont fucking live with you?" Jane spat. Maura looked up, fire burning in her eyes, the tears attempting to extinguish them.

"Get. Out. Now!" Maura shouted, letting her voice rumble off the metal crypts.

Jane inhaled sharply.

"Goodbye _Doctor_ Isles" Jane exited, hunched and burning.


	3. Chapter 3

**sorry it so long, work was need to be done... sorry if this chapter is a little ... off**

* * *

><p>Frost reached over to his desk to snag a file that Korsak had requested when Jane burst in, eyes puffy and skin flushed. Frost dropped it, the brown file landed back down with a whump. Frost then grimaced over to Korsak.<p>

The room fell to a static silence. Frost chased the light rippling through the blinds as an open window let air in to the room. The sound of a distant phone and printer hummed through the tension. Voices soon picked up to there usual hectic volume, that second of silence had gone.

Jane sat at her desk and felt her skin crawl, the screen flashed up and she clicked onto a few files to distract herself from her curdling thoughts.

Korsak edged away from her desk and busied himself by taking to Frost.

Jane tried to ease and vent her anger by tapping he table but wrenched her hand away from the wooden desktop to plant it on her knee so it couldn't offend her.

"Jane" Korsak glanced over to her, wincing in apprehension in her reaction.

"Yes" Jane breathed out and looked to him.

"Wanna grab a coffee?" he smiled softly, those fatherly eyes boring into Jane's pounding heart.

Jane looked at her screen for a brief decision tactic and nodded, her limbs soon feeling numb due to her pounding heart.

Korsak sat her down next to the window. Jane faced away from the next table, that's where her and Maura had sat just half an hour ago.

"You can't just do this" Korsak grounded Jane's fluttering grief. Jane sharply turned to him.

"Do what?" his blatant words scratched at her wounds, picking off the forming scabs of minuets.

"_This_... What happened Janey?"

Jane looked down into the coffee cup, the swirling grains offered no support.

"Maura..." Jane looked around, the café was empty apart from them. Jane knew her Ma would make an appearance so made her explanation quick. "Maura told my Ma about me and her years ago and didn't care to tell me and she's pissed that I won't live with her" Jane gushed, her left leg became jittery.

"Do you love her?" Korsak saw Jane's sight drop again through his careful words. "Janey?"

"Yes!" Jane forced, looking fully away, peering around again. "Yes" Jane repeated her voice quiet this time.

"Then you shouldn't get so angry at her, she probably had a reason for keeping it from you and she probably wants you to live with her so she knows you love her"

"She knows I love her" Jane furrowed her brow.

"Does she?" Korsak gave her a lasting, questioning look and rested his hand atop of hers briefly. "I almost forgot, coffee's on me" he handed her some change and added. "Say hey to your Mom..."

Korsak was about to walk from the café when another thought crossed his mind.

"Oh and Janey"

Jane peered around to him, giving him a crooked smile.

"Say hi to the kids"

Jane looked after him as Korsak walked to the elevators.

Kristen and Emma wouldn't forgive her if Maura told them about their fall out, hell Emma would probably figure it out even without Maura telling them. Jane sucked in her cheeks then bit at the inside, gnawing at the flesh to get some form of answer.

Angela walked in and smiled at her daughter taking in a crate of cups behind the counter.

"Ma" Jane got up and walked over.

"Yeah" Angela had her back turned as she stacked the cups, the clattering cut over what Jane was trying to say.

"Ma!"

The clattering prevailed, reverberating around the café, blocking Angela's hearing.

Jane gave a dead pan look and cross her arms.

"I'm pregnant with the next son of God"

Still clattering

"I killed someone, with a ruler and biro"

Jane gave a disbelieving look.

"I..." Jane scrunched up her face in thought.

"Janey" Angela span around, Jane stopped her musings. "I heard you and Maura had a fight"

"Maura" they both started and Jane sighed heavily.

"Maura told me Janey" Angela gave her daughter a stern look.

Jane looked at the floor.

"I think you shouldn't be so childish"

"I'm not!"

"You are Jane, now quit it, she cares about you!"

"Enough to not tell me what she told you" Jane hissed and Angela huffed.

"I wanted you to tell me when you were ready" Angela stated. "You've never been ready"

Jane opened her mouth to speak when Angela pointed at her accusingly.

"And you know what I mean"

Jane bit on the inside of her cheek in frustration.

"You have a job to do and so do I" Angela finished and walked into the store room. Jane lolled her head back and groaned in frustration.

_Today's going swell. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Please tell me if anything seems off and if this is flowing okay... my mind is fried of late.**

Jane had made it all the way up back to the bull pen and spent three hours doing paper work at a rate of knots before a tiny thought crossed her mind. In the jumble of files and a nine page word document, the thought infested her mind.

It sank into the murky pond her brain was supporting and a light bulb flicked on then smashed, shards of the glass bobbed to the surface.

Maura had_ told_ Ma?

Jane narrowed her eyes and jogged back out of the room back to the elevators. Frost caught her in her blind rush.

"Jane I need..."

"NOT NOW!" Jane shouted, silencing him. Frost stood poker faced watching Jane punch the down button to no avail.

"Shit" Jane kicked the wall and burst down the stairwell. Frost gave a _what the fuck _expression in Jane's direction and walked in to the bull pen.

Skipping every two steps Jane made it down to the morgue.

_You said bye to her! You can't just burst in and be all like WHAT THE FOOK_

_Did I really just say fook? Come on, really?_

Through her internal banter she didn't realise she'd slammed into the locked doors on the morgue until the echo of her body hitting the metal and a pain in her skull clarified her whereabouts.

Jane hissed and rubbed her head, her eyes sadly looked into the white light that lit Maura's form, hunched over a body. She hadn't even turned.

Jane paced.

_Bad idea. _

_But you have to clarify._

_BAD idea._

Jane chewed on her lip and flexed her hands.

Jane stopped her movements when the sound of the door unlocking and Maura stepped out, still in a blood soaked lab coat. Jane guessed from her facial expression, her blood was going to be on there too if she made the wrong move.

_Don't get mad. _

"Maura" Jane started, her voice cracking.

Maura looked over Jane's form, she looked worn out.

"Have you eaten?"

"Listen I know you're... _what_?"

"Eat something so you're not crabby" Maura's voice was monotone, Jane couldn't pick emotion from the M.E.

"I don't think food has anything to do with what I was about to say" Jane gushed, frowning.

"Then please... continue _Detective_" Maura's words were cold.

Jane closed her eyes briefly.

"I just want to get something out of the way" Jane started, standing her ground in case it got ugly. "Did you _tell _Ma about us or did she _guess_?"

Maura didn't respond straight away, she stood and blinked. Jane twitched, she looked psychotic in the bloody lab coat, but beautiful. The smears of blood made her eyes glisten with fire.

The light flickered from in the lab distracting them both for a second.

"Jane." Maura shed the lab coat and she walked back into the lab, urging Jane to walk after her. Somehow, Jane felt like it was a trap, it was too silent for her.

Jane gulped, her throat turning to sand paper, but tendrils of fire licked her heart.

_DO NOT get angry Rizzoli. _

If Maura had told her Ma, she'd explode.

If her Ma had guessed, then she'd have to apologise and grovel.

Neither of which Jane took a liking to.

"Your Mother _did_ guess"

Jane narrowed her eyes, still stood in the door way challenging her body to step into the room.

"Then why did she say _you_ told her?"

"Because I did" Maura gave Jane a puzzled look.

"Maura what?"

"She guessed! So I clarified it!" Maura gushed, her cheek's flushed and her hand gestures became rapid. "How could you think they were at two separate occurrences, I wouldn't lie to you... maybe becouse I _can't_, but to you I can't seem to fathom an ounce of courage even to think about lying! I really hate it when I hate you" Maura's words fell and Jane switched to one foot then the other.

Maura words were small but sharp, precise, like she was dissecting Jane and letting her innards fall out to her mercy.

Jane bit on the inside of her lip therapeutically.

"I... over reacted" Jane huffed and felt her liver and a lung drop to the floor. "I'm sorry Maur"

"This _has_ to stop" her words still cutting into Jane.

Jane looked at her disgruntled.

"What?"

"_You_ have to stop" Maura sounded pained and fussed over the last four words like they were bugs.

Jane stared at her, quizzically.

"I said I was sorry... I don't know what more I can..." Jane began, raising her arms in defeat.

"Jane" Maura looked down at her feet then back up. Jane felt more of her organs hit the floor.

"I think it might be better if we, get away from each other... for a while"  
>Jane's eyes roamed Maura's expression. Poker face.<p>

"Maura I was stupid, we don't have to resort to... _getting away _from each other" Jane tried to fathom all the strength to her voice, stealing it from her limbs so they became numb with defeat.

"It's a health break, we spend too much time together"

"What about Kristen and Emma" Jane slapped herself, she was sounding clingy. The girls wouldn't be their tie, if Maura wanted a break, fine.

"You know what, okay" Jane backed away, holding her hands out. "We will, I'm not going to argue, I won't fight, fine"

Maura nodded, for once in her life, she had no idea what was happening or going to.

"I never thought we'd say goodbye twice in a day" Jane muttered and exited.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this is so late! I've been finishing up my other story Car Crash Dreams... quite a large contrast in these two stories left me boggled! Well, this is the only fic I'm zoned in on now, so expect more chapters now.**

* * *

><p>Kristen lugged her gym bag up to the drive way, routing in her pockets to find her key when the distant sound of jazz made Kristen's attention snap up.<p>

Jumping the steps up to the front door, she assaulted the lock with her key and opened the door with a stuff click.

Maura was dancing around the house, clad in sweat pants and a duster.

"Oh my God" Kristen dropped her kit back as her Mother shimmied around the house, dusting the coffee table as she hummed along to Smooth Operator by Sade.

Kristen had only witness her Mother dance around the house when she was trying to preoccupy herself, she was cleaning... it was defiantly preoccupation.

Kristen winced as she dusted the mantle, wiggling her butt as she did so.

"Okay, Mom, stop" Kristen shut the door, shocking the woman out of her trance.

"Oh" Maura blushed slightly at her daughter's face, she lunged over and turned the stereo off.

"The house is clean" Kristen eyed her suspiciously. "Too clean"

To prove her point, Bass wondered past, his shell glistening.

"What the heck did you do to him? Put him under a buffing machine? What's happened Mom?"

Maura set the duster down and sighed heavily. Her eyes dropped and the previous distraction leaked from her mind, the happiness off musical bliss gone.

"It's Jane isn't it" Kristen pointed to her Mother and dropped her house keys into the wicker basket with a small clink. Maura simply nodded and walked into the kitchen.

"What did she do?" Kristen hopped up onto the island perched there as she interrogated Maura. "Just this morning you two were making out, now you look like she's the biggest arse in the world"

"Language Kris!" Maura scolded and Kristen pressed her mouth into a thin line.

"Butt just sounds childish Mom"

"You are a child Kris" Maura turned and crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "I don't think it's proper to talk to you about this"  
>"Talk about what?" Emma wondered in and had an identical look of curiosity that Kristen wore.<p>

"Mom dumped Jane" Kristen stated and Emma gawked.

"You what!"

"Kristen! I did not _dump_ Jane!"

Emma frowned at Maura.

"Mom..." Emma narrowed her eyes and tried to de construct her Mom. Maura knelt in front of the girl and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't try and give me that look, I invented it Emy, now you two go and get changed"

Emma pouted at the use of the pet name.

"It's not fair"  
>"Everything not fair with you" Maura shouted to her, making her groan in response.<p>

"Yeah, it's not fair" Kristen joined in, her sibling made a good point.

"Get changed" Maura commanded and pointed in the direction of their room.

Maura rubbed her eyes and turned to the coffee machine for help, it's liquid heaven would sooth her.

Jane lay on her couch, Joe happily curled up on her stomach.

She'd lay brooding for almost an hour.

"Do you think I've done something wrong?" Jane asked the terrier, Joe lazily glanced at her and grunted.

"_Great_" Jane peered up at the ceiling. "It's not my fault... I just... don't like living with people"

Joe lifted her head to peer at her owner.

"You don't class as a person Joe"

The terrier huffed and sunk back down to sleep.

It wasn't the fact she didn't like Maura, god damn, she loved her... but she didn't want to admit her past, all of it at once.

Jane shuddered at the hand of a memory.

_Maura ran her fingers up and down Jane's spine, kissing a trail down to her tail bone and back up. The curve of Maura's nail soothed the skin there. _

_Maura kissed over a long, angry looking scar that lay near Jane's right hip. Maura looked at it and traced it with her finger. _

"_Janey" Maura cooed, Jane responded sleepily. "When did you acquire this?"_

_Jane strained to look over her shoulder at the honey blond. _

"_You mean... oh, it's nothing" _

_Maura noted the pain in Jane's voice, the hurt that flashed in her eyes when Maura kept tracing it. _

"_Jane it can't be nothing..."_

"_M" Jane flipped over and Maura sat cross legged looking expectantly at Jane. "It's just nothing" _

_Maura lay back down, deciding it was a bad idea to press further into the matter. Jane knew that look that graced Maura's features, it was her quizzical 'I want to know it all' look. _

"_Just something from the past" Jane brushed off and Maura nodded slowly. _

"_When will Kris and Emy be back?" Jane propped herself up on her elbows._

"_Around 2" _

"_We have half an hour to occupy ourselves" Jane wiggled her eyebrows and Maura rolled her eyes and kissed the valley between Jane's breasts. _

"_We better make proper use of it then" Maura hummed. _

Jane pulled herself from the day dream and bit on her cheek.

Joe was sleeping now.

Jane rolled her eyes at the pet, she was trapped by her terrier, low and behold Jane needed to pee.

_You should just tell her. _

Jane searched the ceiling, as if it held the answer. Nothing really had the answer apart from Maura and herself.

_Maura probably has stuff she'd rather not share. _

_But this is the barrier between love then loss then deprivation. _

_Tell her. _

Jane bore her eyes into the white paint that her ceiling had been coated in. The scar seemed to burn and boil the blood underneath.

Jane grimaced and closed her eyes, sleep would be the best treatment, sleep healed.

Maura was feeding Bass when Emma bolted in screaming.

Maura jumped up and Bass sunk into his shell.

"Aww Bass" Maura complained and turned to Emma who was hysteric. "What?" Maura watched as her daughter wafted her hands in the air.

"Spider" she squeaked.

"Where?" Maura smiled softly, knowing how spiders scared Emma, but now was the moment the girl was going to get rid of her fear.

"My room" Emma pouted, her lip quivering. Maura rubbed Emma's shoulder and held her hand guiding her daughter behind her.

"Momma!" Emma cried as Maura walked up to the spider on the windowpane. Happily perched in it's web, it flexed it's tiny legs.

Maura felt sympathy for the tiny Araneae. It was happy in the home it had woven, she had to get rid of it due to Emma's fear.

Maura's eyes widened as the spider seemed to stay under her gaze.

"Momma! Get rid of it!"

"Honey..." Maura's voice trailed off as she stared.

It was in the same situation she was.

She had to risk her relationship, her happiness for someone else's fear, Jane's fear.

The spiders web was that relationship, Emma's fear was going to destroy it.

"Emy" Maura looked back at her daughter with soft eyes. Emma was still pouting. "I want you to face this, you're nearly a big girl and big girls don't get scared by simple Araneae"

"But it's freaky looking" Emy stayed well away from the tiny horror.

"You do realise, in size proportion, this tiny spider is really scared of you" Maura held Emma's hand to sooth her.

"But Momma!" Emma resisted Maura's beckoning to go near it.

"But Emy" Maura smiled and decided to sit on her bed and study the spider, it was still acting dead in it's defence. "Come here" Maura opened her arms Emma crawled into her mother's lap.

"This spider... I'll name it Harry... Harry is risking his home, the home that he has woven himself, it probably took him 2 hours, that's like two years in spider life. Harry loves it there, he looks contented with it, now... your fear is making his home no longer feel safe, you are threatening him with your fear, he stays still in resistance to it, but your fear keeps risking his happiness"

Emma looked up at Maura then over her mother's warm shoulder to peer at Harry.

"He does look pretty happy sat there" she gulped.

"Exactly" Maura was re-evaluating her situation, the cogs in her brain turned. "You wouldn't want to cause him any upset due to your fear, but I'm pretty sure Harry doesn't want to cause you harm either, he wants to live with you in peace"

"So you're not going to kill him?"

"Harry means us no harm Emy"

"Fine" Emma kissed Maura's cheek. "Thank you Momma, I think I can deal with Harry, but if he has kids, I'm not going to be happy"

Maura giggled.

"You never know, you could be their auntie"

"You're pushing it Momma" Emma giggled and hugged her, embracing the warmth Maura gave.

Emma lay back down on her bed and Maura kissed her forehead and glanced over to the spider.

"Thanks Harry" she whispered and left Emma to live with Harry.

Kristen was sat watching TV happily.  
>"You don't have any metaphorical advice to give me do you?" Maura twisted a strand of Kristen's hair around her index finger.<p>

"Err meta what?" Kristen batted Maura away and grinned.

"Look it up Kris" Maura kissed the top of her head.

"Not right now, Happy Feet is on"

"Penguins don't dance" Maura pointed out and received a death glare from Kristen.

"You ruin every Disney film and every film with animals in it"

"Well I just think..."

"Mom" Kristen groaned, laughing at her Mother's tendency to rant.

"Okay, I'll be quiet" Maura sat next to Kristen and let her rest her head in her lap. "Happy?"

"Yeah" Kristen soon sounded sleepy. "I want you and Jane to be okay" Kristen was always one to pick up on things.

"We'll be fine" Maura soothed her daughter by running her finger up and down her freckled nose, this always helped sooth the girls worries.

"I've never told you this... but I'd think it would be cool if Jane was our Dad"

"Really?" Maura smiled and Kristen nodded.

"I could call her Mama"

Maura felt more guilt sink in, trust her children to butcher her.

"Jane does suit it"  
>"I asked her 'bout it the other day"<p>

"You did?" Maura raised her eyebrows.

"Uh huh, she said she'd find it cool too"

"Then what did she say?"

"That she would have to ask you 'bout it"

Maura now knew why Jane had been so angry and beaten up. Damn Harry the spider.

"Jane takes her time with things that she cares about... she evaluates things... ponders"

"Nah, she jumps into stuff" Kristen snuggled closer into her Mom.

"If you really look, you can see her pondering"

"I'll look next time" Kristen yawned and hugged Maura's waist.

"Don't you want to go to bed?" Maura whispered near her daughter's ear and kissed it.

"Mumble is too cute to turn off" Kristen yawned again.

"You're too cute to be awake" Maura scooped her daughter up into her arms and carried her into her room, tucking her into bed and kissing them both good night, Maura stood by the door and flicked off the light.

"Night girls, I love you"

"Night Momma" they both grumbled and Maura pulled the door close to being shut, so the light from the hallway acted like a night light, so give them both a sense of security.

Maura always wanted them to be safe,life threw people about, relationships threw a persons life into deprivation, Harry the spider would hopefully be Emma's savour for most of it.

Maura turned off the TV and sat on the sofa, hugging a pillow to her chest, Maura lay in thought.

Harry the spider had opened up a whole new perspective to her.

Jane was scared, she threatened Maura's happiness, but her selfishness also hurt Jane.

Maura sighed and sunk into the comfort of the sofa.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm trying to update as fast as I can. Thanks for reading this. **

* * *

><p>Battered converse tip toed across the wooden flooring of Maura's sitting room.<p>

Maura's eyes fluttered open and she realised the side lamp was on, then she sat bolt up as she heard a heavy thud and muffled curse.

"Jane?" Maura peered over the edge of the sofa and tried to not giggle at her pissed expression.

"Your turtle tripped me up" Jane glared at the animal who plodded off, like he was please with himself.

"I guess he's protective of me" Maura smiled sweetly at Bass then hoped from the sofa to help Jane up.

Jane shyly took her hand and Maura pulled the Detective to her feet. Maura had no idea she'd been still holing Jane's hand until the brunet cleared her throat and smiled softly.

"Oh right" Maura pulled her hand away. "How did you get in?" Maura puzzled and Jane ran a hand through her hair.

"I thought I'd never admit this but who do you think taught Tommy how to pick locks?"

"I told you, Jane Rizzoli you are a bad impression" Maura mused, walking back to the sofa to huddle in the comfort of the arm.

"Jane, I'm sorry... I was selfish, I was so caught up in the daily routine and just family life, I never thought of you... I guess I've not for a while" Maura drained herself and Jane sat sat to her, watching her intently as she spoke. "I always used to ask you how you were, I've been neglectful to _us_"

Jane gulped and stroked her index finger up and down Maura's leg.

"M" Jane smiled, she'd not used that nickname in a long time. Maura hummed in response. "I guess I was scared"

"I know Janey" Maura captured Jane's hand and kissed her knuckles, keeping eye contact. "Harry told me"

Jane rose an eye brow at her.

"Harry?"

"Oh, the spider... he was sat in his web and well, Emma has this rather irrational fear of spiders so..."

Jane chuckled and crawled atop of Maura, then prevailed to kiss her softly to stop the woman's rambling.

Maura ran her hands into Jane's raven locks and leaned into the Detective.

"Janey" Maura kissed her fluidly. "I've missed this"

"Me too" Jane hummed as Maura nuzzled her neck. "I have something to say M"

Maura stopped and looked into Jane's eyes.

"I've never told you... why I don't want to live with you... Maura I love you, more than my body can cope with at times but there is something that is stopping me" Jane sat back and played with the hem of her jeans. Maura looked worriedly at her lover.

"Janey..."

"Do you remember that scar you found... on my right hip"

Maura nodded slowly, she'd never forgotten.

"Well you know that time you went out with Garret... and you said you were twenty everything felt serious?"

"I do recall it yes... Jane, please"

"Well, I never told you about when I was twenty" Jane stared at her hands fascinated with her own ability to blank her voice out. "I lived with this guy, Nick"

Maura searched Jane's face, seeing a hint of pain flash across it in an instant made Maura's stomach lurch in anticipation for the rest of the confession.

"I was still working my way up and well Nick was this charming Detective with everything going for him" Jane still picked at her jeans. "We went out a couple of times... went to each others places a hella a lot" Jane felt a slight blush creep up the back of her neck at this. "He was on a case when he asked me to live with him... so me being me, I agreed thinking he was the best god damn man I'd ever met" Jane's eyes then became dark as her small smile of remembrance faded. "That case nearly killed us both... and I'm not saying that lightly M"

Maura twitched at the look in her partners eyes, it unsettled her, but she let her continue.

"After about two weeks of sharing a house, this guy burst in, it was around one in the morning..."

_Nick sat blot up, he'd heard the door open. Heart hammering in his ears, his hand slammed straight down on his gun and crawled out of bed, primed and ready. Jane sleepily pulled herself out of bed and grumbled, but the man took no notice and slammed his back against the wall. Knowing something was up, Jane grabbed her gun, not minding that she was clad in bed shorts and a vest during mid winter. _

_Nick motioned for her to get the other side of her door, which Jane did, but her body was still waking up. _

_Another creak insured there was defiantly someone roaming the house. _

_Nick took a fast breath and flexed his hand around the door handle. Jane watched him, her heart pounded her ribs to the extent of internal bruising she was sure. _

_Nick hung his head and rose it back up still listening. _

_Jane steadied her gun and foot steps neared the door, pressing down on a loose floorboard, a creak echoed. Jane closed her eyes and gulped, her limbs were numbing with the fear. _

_Nick nodded to her and Jane gritted her teeth and nodded back. _

_As the door swung open Nick's plan fell to sand. Jane leapt in front of the intruder, aiming her gun steadily, ready to shoot. The hooded intruder aimed his gun with one hand at Jane and as she primed herself to shoot, he shot first. Nick knocked her out of the way of the bullet, the harsh sound of punctured skin rattled Jane and the intruder pointed his gun to her. Jane fell to Nick's side, at the moment, the intruder shot again, but skimmed Jane's exposed skin of her hip. Yelling out Jane collapsed at the burning sting and wet crimson spilling to the floor. Jane swung around, pressing her wound the the floor and shot at the attacker, the first bullet shattered his left shoulder, the second hit him in the chest. As he stumbled back, Jane let out a pained groan, panting she looked over to Nick. Still and lifeless he lay, a bullet hole fresh and crying crimson tears down his chest. _

Maura sat, unable to produce a word. Her mouth had dried, her eyes had stolen all moisture from her body to produce salty tears.

Slow pained tears rolled down Maura's cheeks and Jane huffed, her nose had reddened, so had her eyes.

Maura drew a shaky breath and let Jane continue.

"Maur... now you understand why half of me doesn't want to live here... I love you, I really love you Maura Isles, but I don't want my job to do that to you... Nick died in front of me...he is just a memory, but if anything like that happened to you becouse of my mistake then I don't know what I'd do" Jane's voice became rough and scratchy.

Maura lent over, cupping the right side of Jane's face softly.

"Jane Rizzoli" she stroked Jane's cheek bone with her thumb, Jane leant in to the warm comfort of her palm, closing her eyes. "I trust _you_" Maura whispered and planted a small kiss upon Jane's quivering lips.

"But what happens if a case follows me home?" Jane sniffed.

"You are not weak Jane"

"If I put you in danger..."

"Jane, we are employed in one of the most demanding and life threatening jobs at times... we are always in danger, but we trust each other, you are _not _weak and you are not a coward, I take back everything I said... Jane Rizzoli I love you, I will fight for you until the day I die"

Jane gave Maura a strong look, in turn she received a loving stare.

"M" Jane pecked Maura's lips between words. "I will happily die fighting for you too"

Maura ran her hands into Jane's hair and kissed her fluidly, running her tongue along the Detectives lower lip.

"I'm tired" Jane chuckled and lay atop of Maura, propping herself up with her elbows. Jane's body felt drained.

Maura ran her fingers through Jane's hair, soothing the woman.

Maura gazed into Jane's dark eyes and kissed her again before holding the woman close, cuddling her.

"Is this a Mommy cuddle?" Jane chuckled and kissed a trail down Maura's neck sleepily, feeling her limbs become heavy and melt into the couch.

"This is a Maura cuddle" Maura moulded into Jane's body with ease and flipped them over so she could nestle her head lazily into the crook of Jane's neck.

"I knew it" Jane hummed and let her eyes flutter shut.


	7. Chapter 7

Emma lay awake, staring at Harry watching as the moonlight caught his spindly limbs as he continued to weave his web.

Now he knew nothing was threatening him, he seemed to continue happily.

Emma rolled her eyes as she heard Kristen sleep talking, mumbling something about feet.

Her siblings soft mumblings didn't block out the conversation in the sitting room. She heard the conversation break every so often then resume, but in smaller voices.

Emma debated walking in and telling her Momma she couldn't sleep, she nine year old couldn't fathom whether it was from the excitement of her birthday nearing in three days or the fact that Harry was still freaking her out.

"No, not those" Kristen whimpered and rolled over, Emma sat up and frowned at her twin.

Propping herself up on her elbows and hummed in thought, she had no idea why, but humming helped.

She heard footsteps down the hallway and in a panic, Emma dove under her cover to pretend to be asleep.

The door creaked open, letting the light from the hallway flood into the room.

"Baby" Jane's voice flooded over to Emma and the girl surfaced from the sea of her duvet. Jane was smiling softly, the light casting a long shadow across the floor .

"How did you know I was awake?"

"You hum" Jane sat on her bed and Emma snuggled into Jane's side. "You can't sleep?"

"No" Emma admitted.

"Come on" Jane picked Emma up into her arms and hugged her close. "You can sleep with me and Momma"

Emma nodded sleepily and Jane carried her out quietly into Maura's room.

Maura grinned at the pair and Jane set Emma down on the bed so she could crawl over to sleep in between them.

Jane slipped off her shoes and socks, neatly leaving the by the door, Maura's house rules.

The Detective then slipped into bed, Emma was soon dozing off as the two women acted like heated pillows that she happily rested between.

"You know you said I couldn't relax" Jane whispered, looking over in the dark to Maura who was cuddled up to her daughter.

"Yes" Jane knew Maura was smiling.

"I'm relaxed" Jane smirked and slept with one arm around Emma and Maura, her hand holding Maura's.

The morning light ran through the curtains of Maura's room. The blade of light ran across the bed, illuminating Maura and Emma's bodies curled into one other.

Jane was already up and happily fixing everyone breakfast. Jane was perched on the edge of the counter, looking out of the window happily watching a bird on the fence.

The aroma of burning toast alerted the Detective.

"Oh shit!" Jane leapt from the counter and watched a plume of smoke invaded the kitchen in seconds.

Wrenching the window open, knocking over a few jars of pasta during her efforts to stop the now cremated bread. Jane dodged the spill of pasta and snagged a cloth from the side of the sink to urge the smoke from the window.

Jane panicked, moving in around the kitchen in jerky movements, she pulled the plug out of the wall that connected to the toaster and threw it out of the window as she heard a door open from the down the hall.

The smoking toaster landed with a clank and ping, the toast sprung free, black and billowing grey smoke.

Jane slammed the window shut and sat on the counter casually, glancing over her shoulder to witness the red toaster still fuming.

"Jane?" Maura sleepily stumbled into the kitchen and stared at her.

"Why does it smell like smoke?" Maura glared.

Jane pulled an innocent expression and shrugged.

"Maybe you're hungry" Jane nodded with her words and slid from the counter to guide Maura back to her room.

"I'm pretty sure there's a pancake place we can go to"

"I only want some toast"

"They do toast there I'm sure" Jane shoved Maura into her room and closed the door firmly. Pressing her back to the white wood for a brief sigh, she sprinted into the kitchen to spot Bass looking at her angrily.

"Shut up turtle" Jane prodded him away with her foot gently.

Bass turned and plodded off.

Jane was sure that thing hated her.

Maura ushered Emma from her room after changing into a black and white dress, the top half being white with a sharp black mock shirt collar, complete with buttons. The bottom half was a thin black belt then trailed down to Maura's knees in black, much like a pencil skirt. Maura then wore black heels to complete the outfit.

"Emy, go get dressed" Maura knelt down and kissed her forehead softly. Emma complied and sniffed the air.

"Why does it smell like smoke?"

"I'm asking the same question" Maura stated loudly, narrowing her eyes knowing full well Jane had something to do with it.

Jane nearly spat out the orange juice she was drinking when she heard Maura's voice.

"Janey" Maura walked into the kitchen, her heels clicking sharply.

Jane smiled sheepishly, feeling almost naked under Maura's burning gaze.

"What did you do?"

Jane opened her mouth to respond but closed her mouth, it was wise just to avoid.

"I'll get ready and we'll take the girls... then go have some breakfast" Jane wagged her finger at Maura then sped walked past the M.E to get changed then winced, she hadn't brought any work clothes.

"Janey" Maura smiled smugly, knowing full well Jane hadn't brought anything to change into. "I think I will have to dress you today"

Jane's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Maura... please, just be nice" Jane turned and Maura snuck behind her, pressing her lips to the shell of the Detective's ear and nibbled at her ear lobe.

"When am I not" Maura whispered and pulled away guiding Jane by her hand to her room. The only time Jane ever truly feared for her life was when Maura dressed her in 'Jane's emergency clothes'.

Maura had bought the Detective a whole wardrobe of clothing for occasions when Jane slept over and had no fresh clothes.

"Shower and then we'll set to work" Maura bit on her lower lip and sent a considerably moody Jane into Maura's on suite bathroom.

After fifteen minuets of waiting, Maura decided Jane was avoiding the whole situation. Maura walked into the bathroom and Jane winced covering her damp body with the shower curtain.

"Jane Rizzoli you are avoiding this"

"_Come on _M"

"Don't _M _me, get out of the shower or I will drag you out, you're probably all prune like"

"Prune like, _really _Maura"

"Yes really, now out" Maura commanded and Jane flared her nostrils just a tiny reaction that came with annoyance.

Jane stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel.

"I'll get the hair dryer" Maura held her finger up looking off in thought for a brief moment then almost skipped from the bathroom. Jane groaned and followed the M.E.

After drying her hair Jane was left sat on the bed still wrapped in a towel. Maura brandished a black lace bra and matching panties. Maura raised her eyebrow suggestively.

"You got me... sexy underwear?" Jane looked in horror at the garments.

"Please?" Maura begged and pouted.

"Only becouse it's the only ones that'll fit me" Jane huffed, Maura gave a tiny sly smile. "You went all the way and got me more didn't you?" Jane stood up and held the towel in place, while confronting the M.E.

Maura stayed silent as Jane yelped at the whole draw dedicated to fancy sets of underwear.

"Maura!"

"Just in case" Maura tried to defend in a tiny 'I'm innocent' voice.

"Just in case someone robs all my underwear from my apartment on a panty raid" Jane remarked and Maura brought back the topic of the black underwear.

"I think you should wear these" Maura waved them at Jane's eye level.

"Whatever M" Jane grabbed them and crossed her arms. "Turn around" Jane huffed and Maura held up her hands, turning her back on Jane.

After a good 40 seconds Maura span back around and felt her heart surge with electricity. Jane looked delectable.

"I knew you'd look sexy" Maura purred and Jane grabbed the duvet to cover herself.

"Don't be a pervert Maura" Jane huffed and angled her sight back to the closet.

"Oh yes!" Maura clapped in a wave of excitement of getting to dress Jane for the day ahead. "Wait there" Maura dashed to collect Jane's outfit.

"Opposed just casually walking out in this" Jane looked down at herself.

"Bingo" Maura walked out and brandished a white low cut blouse, black skinny jeans and a leather jacket.

"So you're not going to put me in a dress?" Jane eyed her suspiciously.

"Nope" Maura grinned and handed Jane the clothing. "Go on" she urged and Jane rolled her eyes.

Jane stood bare foot clad in the jeans and blouse.

Maura smiled proud of her work.

Jane wriggled, the blouse showed of her cleavage, luckily the material was thick so didn't show the black bra. The jeans made Jane's legs look long and shapely.

"I think these will look brilliant" Maura dashed over and pulled a shoe box from under the bed.

Inside the box lay a pair of black suede Gucci mid heel pumps.

"How the hell am I supposed to run in these?"

"I am not letting you wear those boots, you sound like a giant"

"I comparison to you M, when you're not wearing heels I am"

Maura brushed off Jane's comment and let her slip them on. Jane wobbled a little but adjusted to the feeling.

"Just pass the jacket" Jane wafted her hand moodily and Maura handed it to her. It was soft and was cropped so it ended where Jane's ribs did.

"Sexy" Maura assured and kissed Jane's exposed neck. "Now" Maura ruffled Jane's hair and winked at her.

"Okay, enough... you better hope I don't break my legs in these things" Jane walked from the room and was greeted by Kristen and Emma staring up her from their breakfast.

"Well you look..." Kristen trailed off and Emma rose her eyebrows.

"Like Mom dressed you" Emma stated and Kristen nodded.

"Welcome to our world" Kristen smirked and drank the rest of the milk in her glass.

"Okay are we all set?" Maura asked making sort work of clearing the dishes.

Walking from the house, Maura unlocked her car and let Kristen and Emma get into the back, still waiting for Jane who was resistant to step out of the house.

"Come on" Maura beckoned the woman with the curl of her index finger. Jane rolled her eyes and walked to stand across from Maura, towering over the M.E in the heels.

"At least let me drive"

"Fine" Maura handed her the keys and Jane plucked from her hand.

"Thank you"

Slotting the keys into the ignition to start the Lexus, Maura spotted her toaster on the grass.

"Is that the toaster?" Maura pointed and Jane reversed from the drive with haste.

"Busted" Kristen chimed and laughed.

"JANE RIZZOLI!"


	8. Chapter 8

**I hope everyone is enjoying this- any little adjustments or current ideas that come to mind are welcome**

Jane pulled into the car park behind the PD building and rubbed her arm from where Maura had slapped her harshly, she was convinced the skin beneath her jacket was bright red.

"You were wondering how you could run in those heels" Maura turned to her glaring.

"No, Maura" Jane unclipped her seat belt and fumbled with the door handle.

"Get running Miss Rizzoli" Maura snapped and slapped her arm again, making her arm sting. Bailing from the Lexus Jane ran unsteadily into the building, Maura hot in pursuit.

"Rizzoli what the hell" one of the officers barked as she blazed past him. Maura soon followed and he gawked after the two women.

Jane pounded the up button and glanced over her shoulder, as the doors pinged open Jane bounded in, cutting Maura off as they closed, laughing Jane sank into the side of the metal box. Maura decided to take the stairwell, clicking open the door she jogged up the stairs as fast as her heels could allow.

Jane sped walked into the bull pen and Korsak looked up from making notes on something that was up on his monitor.

"You look..." Korsak then diverted his attention to Maura bursting in behind the raven haired Detective and grabbing her by the scruff.

"Christ!" Jane yelped and Maura dragged her from the room, Korsak held up his hands.

"Don't wanna know"

Frost chuckled at Jane's petrified expression.

"Something tells me Jane's done something" Frost clicked of his computer and span on his chair.

"Five bucks it was last night" Korsak arched his head when he heard a yelp.

"Five bucks it was the morning after" Frost chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows.

"You're on kid"

"Maura looks hot when she's angry" Korsak continued and Frost winced. "Just sayin'"

Maura dragged Jane into her office and slammed the door firmly behind her, Jane stumbled back.

"You destroyed a $300 toaster"

"I didn't destroy it... $300? For a frikin' toaster?" Jane snapped and Maura nodded.

"It was brilliant, it toasted bagels"

"Oh well then, I'll alert the media" Jane was still breathless from their chase.

"Mature" Maura snapped, leaning on the wall to catch her breath.

"I thought so" Jane snapped, sneering. The room fell silent and Maura began to chuckle.

"Did you see everyone's faces?"

"Yeah" Jane smirked, bursting into a fit of giggles. "Preston shit himself when I shoved past him then when he saw you" Jane spoke through laughter, doubling over in a struggle to regain air.

The two woman calmed and Jane perched on Maura's desk.  
>"I'll get you a new toaster... a better one" Jane assured. "One that toasts bagels to perfection"<p>

"Thank you" Maura walked over and stood in front of Jane. The M.E bit down on her lip and ran two fingers down Jane's left thigh. Jane cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, look who's distracted" Jane rested her hands on Maura's hips and pulled the woman so she was resting in between her legs.

"Very, remind me not to dress you again"

"Why?" Jane puzzled. "I thought you love doing it?"

"You look far to sexy" Maura purred and planted a small kiss on Jane's lips. "I know what's under there... it's killing me Janey"

"Well" Jane gave the M.E a sly smile. "You'll just have to wait... remember the rules" Jane toyed. Maura had made the rule, no sex at work.

Maura pressed their foreheads together.

"I remember" Maura pouted and Jane kissed it from her lips, sucking on the M.E's bottom lip to earn a groan.  
>"We can send the girls to Frankie's..." Jane kissed a trail down Maura's neck, letting her purr. "We can have the night together"<p>

"I think that would be...a brilliant idea"

"I'll find him today" Jane worked her way back up the M.E's neck.

"Please" Maura groaned and Jane pulled away, teasing her further.

"I'll do it now" Jane walked across the office, leaving a dishevelled Maura to her imagination.

Jane walked into the café, her eyes roaming the space for Frankie, he was usually huddled eating a doughnut around this time.

Jane tried to shimmy through the hordes of officers, the sea of dark blue informs didn't help her search.

"Janey!" Angela's voice cut through the crowd. Jane growled and turned with a cheesy grin to her Mother.

"Ma" Jane walked over and continued to look around.

"You're dressed...different" Angela prodded, noticing how Jane's cleavage was prominent. Angela persisted and gave her daughter a 'tell me now' look.

"I'm looking for Frankie"

"You're dressed like that for Frankie?" Angela's voice rose an octave in horror.

"God no Ma!" Jane hissed and waved her hands to calm the woman down. "It's for Maura"

"Oh you two made up then" Angela was drying a mug while talking.

"Yes"

"And you're dressed like that becouse..."

"Maura dressed me this morning, I had no... it doesn't matter why I'm dressed like this Ma, I just need to know where Frankie is"

"He's probably with Vince"

"Thanks Ma... wait, you just called Korsak, Vince"

Angela avoided eye contact.

"Well you know, we get along"

"Oh my God, Ma are you sleeping with Korsak"

"Jane!" Angela snapped and pointed to her accusingly. "We do not discuss Ma matters at work"

"You are officially ridiculous Ma"

"He's a nice man"

"So you are sleeping with him" Jane crossed her arms.

"No" Angela huffed and set the mug down roughly.

"Go and find your brother for whatever purpose"

"I will do" Jane turned and walked off back through the crowds.

Jane walked into the bull pen, spotting Frankie she walked over to him.

"Hey! Frankie"

"Janey" Frankie turned and smiled.

"Could you take care of the girls tonight?"

"Yeah sure, why?" Frankie ruffled his hair.

"Maura and I have something planned"

"Ah, so you're speaking again"

"Yes" Jane dead panned. "Thanks for this bro, I'll drop them off around six"

"Great" Frankie looked around, the conversation had become dead. Jane prodded her younger brothers chest.

"Thanks..." Jane was about to go and inform Maura of the arraignments when a small light bulb flick on inside her head. "Frankie... do you happen to know where a decent toaster?"


	9. Chapter 9

After the trauma getting Frankie to drive Jane and the girls to Maura's house, packing the girls over night clothes and uniforms for the next day, along with shouting at Frankie for luring Kristen into a wrestling match in the driveway, Frankie left with the girls piled into his crappy mini.

Jane was trying to pick out a wine that Maura wouldn't kill her for opening. Maura had to finish the paper work for a suicide so was in turn late.

Jane was still clad in the clothes Maura had dressed her in that morning, alas the heels had been thrown across the sitting room.

Running a hand through her hair an idea sparked in her brain. Glancing over to the toaster she'd made Frankie buy, buy being a lie. Jane had forced him to barge into the local electronics store, flash his badge and confiscate the most expensive and over the top toaster he could find. Jane chuckled as it lay on the sofa packed in a bright red box with a bow on the top. In reality, the box had cost five dollars, a damn rip off for a box that would probably use to be Bass's litter box... if that damn tortoise had one.

Jane glanced over her shoulder at the offending 'land dwelling reptile'.

Jane rolled her eyes, that thing would probably have a gold tray for it's pee.

"I hope you realise _Bass_" Jane waved her hands in a form of mock amazement. "You are a turtle... tortoise thing.." Jane puzzled on what she was going to offend the poor animal with next when Maura came in.

"Janey, you in?"

Jane stuck her tongue out at Bass and leapt across the sitting room in long strides, while attempting to tackle the toaster off the sofa out of Maura's sight, she over shot her aim and landed next to the sofa with a loud thud.

Maura stopped in her tracks while she watched Jane face plant the floor looking much like a plank.

"Jane, what are you doing?"

Jane leapt up and searched for a distraction to give her a second chance at removing Maura's present from the room.

"Bass left you a present" Jane giggled evilly and Maura glanced over to him.

"Bass!" while the M.E was preoccupied with the tortoise, Jane smuggled the toaster into Maura's room in a blind panic, waddling down the hallway due to the pain she'd received in her first attempt to remove the toaster.

"Jane, are you sure?"

Maura looked around the room, puzzled at her random disappearance.

Jane reappeared flustered and grinning like a child.

"Jane what are you up to?"

"Just being happy" Jane ran a hand through her hair and Maura dropped her keys into the wicker basket.

"Did you really think it necessary to jump across the sitting room?"

"Yes" Jane nodded and opted to carry out the evening as she'd mapped it in her mind. Jane walked over to Maura and kissed the M.E softly, sliding her bag from her shoulder along with her coat. Maura coat landed with a swish on the floor and Jane unbuttoned the front of Maura's dress. Maura leant into her touch and pecked Jane's lips.

"It think it made things a lot more... lively" Jane guided Maura over to the sofa and Maura giggled at her bazaar behaviour.

Jane looked at her through dark eyes, kissing Maura's exposed chest. Every time Jane's soft lips connected with the sensitive skin Maura drew in a shaky breath. Jane nudged her softly backwards until the M.E fell into a slouching position. Jane licked her lips and connected them with Maura's in a long, draining kiss. Jane straddled Maura easily and ran her hands up to her now exposed shoulders and brushed the fabric of the dress away until it fell down, only stopped by Maura's position upon the sofa.

"It hardly think this is fair" Maura whispered, nuzzling Jane's neck.

"Huh" Jane responded to distracted to place a actual sentence. Maura's hand untucked Jane's blouse and ran her fingers over Jane's abs.

"I dressed you like this for my enjoyment" Maura nipped at the nape of Jane's neck.

"Maura Isles being selfish?" Jane mocked inhaling sharply as the M.E nipped harder with her comment.

Jane manoeuvred the both of them so she could top Maura and swiftly tugged the dress from the M.E's slender from, leaving her panting, clad in white lace underwear.

"White?" Jane's voice cracked under the husky tone as she kissed the valley between each of Maura's breasts. Maura reached up and unbuttoned Jane's blouse, pulling the Detective down to connect their lips once again, feeling the heated skin of Jane's stomach and letting it fall from her body like a layer of unwanted skin.

"Half way there" Maura broke the kiss and looked at Jane with dark eyes and a devils tone.

Jane fumbled with the button on her jeans, feeling stupid, like some rushed teenager, 'getting it over with', god she'd been there.

Maura chuckled and pushed Jane onto her back then kissed a trail from the woman's heaving chest to the button on her jeans. Maura looked up at Jane, liking the way her heaving chest broke off her flushed face for a second at a time.

Maura undid the button with her teeth, catching the edge with her top teeth then pushing the button back through the hole with her bottom teeth. Jane watched the spectacle through cloudy vision.

Maura unzipped the jeans and tugged them roughly from Jane's long, olive toned legs.

"Much better" the M.E purred and crawled back up Jane's body to reconnect their lips. After the clash of tongues, lips and the occasional teeth, Maura dragged their poorly clad bodies to the bed room.

Slamming the door shut behind her, Maura wrapped her arms around the back of Jane's neck and kissed her with swollen lips.

Jane was suddenly acutely aware of everything that was Maura Isles. She smelt like mango, probably from the fresh application of the perfume in the car ride here. The way her breasts rubbed against Jane's sent a electric pain down to her core and tightened her heart.

Maura's fingers, her nails dug into the soft skin of Jane's neck as she walked them over to the bed.

As Jane's legs hit the edge of the double bed and they both fell back into it's comfort, the small clanking of the box hitting the wood of Maura's floor was a discrete detail. The Detective surrendered to the M.E's relentless purring and let the petite woman have her way, even if that meant being stark naked first. Maura tugged off Jane's underwear that she'd religiously worn for this moment, the discomfort of the lace was gone and Maura's rough, heavy breathing infested Jane's lower body, making the raven haired woman arch her back in sudden craving.

"M" Jane panted as the M.E showered her pubis bone with nips and kisses. Maura grinned and lowered her mouth in a frenzy.

Jane was lost to a blur.

Waking up with the feeling of Maura's naked body upon hers Jane grinned. Maura had her face nuzzled into the crook of Jane's neck and murmured softly into the delicate flesh. Jane restrained a small giggle, she was ticklish there and that was the place Maura always loved to nuzzle into becouse it meant Jane's complete surrender and meant Maura had dominated the other wise impenetrable Detective.

Jane shifted, attempting not to wake the M.E her arm had gone numb and in consequence she had to move it.

Maura grumbled as Jane tried to shift her weight. The Detective winced and Maura rose her head sleepily and smiled softly at her.

"I didn't mean to wake you" Jane whispered, not wanting her voice to become louder so she could treasure the moment when Maura woke up, looking too much like a child through her mess of hair and hazel eyes.

"I was going to wake up anyway" Maura rolled off Jane and curled under the duvet.

"I got you a present" Jane continued to keep her voice small. Maura propped herself up on her elbows to witness the supposed gift.

"Please tell me it's not like the one Bass left" Maura joked and Jane rolled her eyes.

"No" Jane winced, she could ether ruin the delicacy of the moment with a joke or ignore Maura's musing. "It's better than turtle crap" there it went, the delicate moment lost to another one of Jane's 'lighten the mood' comments.

Reaching over to retrieve the box that was unhappily sat on the floor, it's lid slightly open.

"Here" Jane passed a sleepy Maura the red box, the audacity of the red seemed to bright for the current time in the morning.

Maura lifted the lid, admiring the bow for a few seconds before plucking a new, silver toaster from it's innards.

"It's wonderful" Maura shuffled over to peck Jane on the cheek at her dysfunctional idea of a present, if she'd received it from anyone else, it wouldn't have possessed the charm and charisma that Jane had given it. Yes, a toaster had charisma, who knew.

Jane smiled and flexed her toes.

"Now I think you owe me a bagel" Maura handed Jane the toaster and then took it back. "I'll make it myself actually" Maura giggled. "I don't want you blowing up this one" Maura slipped out of bed and padded over to the door.

"M" Jane noted, making the honey blond turn. "Not to be a downer, but as much as I love seeing you naked, I think putting on some form of clothing would be cool you know, while you make breakfast"

Maura set the toaster down and pulled on Jane's shirt from the night before and tugged on a fresh pair of panties.

"This okay?" Maura picked the toaster back up and Jane crawled from the warmth of the bed to kiss Maura.

"Perfect" she hummed into Maura's hair and kissed her forehead.


	10. Chapter 10

**I've had such a fun time reading all your reviews, made me smile or rather, grin. Thank You. **

Maura had never felt so compelled to turn on the radio. Her fingers caressed the tuning dial as she listened for a song that she could make breakfast to. The early morning light shone through the window and made her eyes glaze over, but she happily took in it's warmth.

Upon hearing a tambourine shake and a steady bass line float from the radios speakers, Maura turned up the volume.

Plugging in the new toaster, Maura felt a random wave of emotion towards the kitchen appliance. They way it shone and had so many buttons it looked like it could command a missile launch, Maura grinned at it.

Maura happily started to dance to the song blasting through the radio, confirming her prediction, it was Jet, Are You Gonna Be My Girl. Manoeuvring her slender form around the kitchen in a delicate wiggle while collecting two bagels from the bread compartment, cutting them swiftly on the wooden chopping board then moon walking to the toaster again with elegance.

Clicking down the leaver and sending the bagels into their special slots, Maura shimmied over to the fridge to pluck the carton of orange juice from it's cold innards.

Maura hummed along contently with the words and poured herself and Jane a glass of orange, she knew for a fact the increase of vitamin C did wonders.

Jane ruffled her hair as she walked into the kitchen taken back by Maura's dancing, humming as she wiggled her rear, all while pouring two glasses of orange.

Jane smirked and looked down at herself, joggers and black vest top looked so impractical next to Maura and her 'I just had sex' attire.

Jane leant on the counter and wondered it would take her honey blond genius to figure out she was watching her.

Watching Maura dance was cute, making Jane display a goofy grin.

"Jane" Maura hummed her words.

Jane jumped.

_So much for that plan._

"Are you going to stand and stare at my rear or dance with me"  
>"Maur, you know I can't dance" Jane recoiled at the offer, it was a lie, she could dance a little, in crazy bursts but never like Maura, when Jane tried to be elegant she ended up looking like a giraffe on ice.<p>

Maura turned her body, swaying her hips and grabbing both of Jane's hands.

"I've seen you dance" Maura's voice was scratchy under the new wave of affection that pooled her vocal chords.

"Yeah" Jane was soon distracted by Maura's swift moving hips, grinding against hers softly. "I look like a retarded chicken"

The mental image of that particular statement made Jane's right eye twitch. She didn't know whether to laugh at the vision or cringe.

"Hardly Janey" Maura pressed her body flush against Jane's and moved their hips in fast rhythm. Jane lost all concentration.

Jane grinned.

"This is _not _how you dance to this song Maura"

"How do you suggest we dance?"

"Like so" Jane pushed their bodies apart but still connected their hands, soon breaking out into a jive.

Maura giggled as Jane twirled her body and jerked her shoulders in the time with the strikes of the guitar.

"Come on M" Jane flushed their bodies together again and sang along happily, this other wise nerdy form of dancing couldn't have looked sexy on anyone but Jane. Even if Beyonce trotted in doing it, Maura would have cringed and bailed.

Jane laughed out the lyrics and Maura couldn't help but laugh along, the jerky uncoordinated moves they were doing.

Then when the song calmed into the bridge, Jane spoke a matter of factly.

"Well are you gonna be my girl?" her voice fit perfectly with that of the singers and Maura lolled her head back laughing.

Jane then backed Maura into the fridge and kissed the M.E as the song concluded. Running her tongue into her mouth, Maura moaned and wove her hands into the Detectives raven hair.

"Well" Jane pulled back, cupping the side of Maura's face delicately. "Are you?"

Maura nodded, still flushed from their previous kiss.

The next song that flooded from the radio wasn't something either of the women would consider dancing to, so the ritual of breakfast continued.

Bass hobbled past, Maura noticed the pet straight away.

"And hewo Bass, how are you this morning"  
>"<em>Really<em>?" Jane flung her arms above her head and drank the orange juice that Maura had poured her. "You don't do that with me" Jane huffed. Maura turned with a smirk.

"You really want me to greet you with the term hewo and stroke your back then feed you?"

Jane tilted her head in thought, then chuckled.

"No"

"Exactly"

"But why do you go all gooey faced over a tu... tortoise"

"He's my little prince" Maura cooed and fed Bass a strawberry.

"So what am I? Tom Fool?"

Maura patted Bass on the shell once more and walked to Jane. Pinching the woman's chin she kissed her softly tasting the orange one her lips.

"Yes" Maura mocked and Jane pouted. "Or my sex slave"

Jane's eyes widened.

"You did _not _just say that"

Maura chuckled evilly and bit her bottom lip.

"You'd love it" Maura turned to pluck the toasted bagels from the bowels of the toaster.

Jane snaked behind Maura and rested her head on the M.E's shoulder.

"That I would"

Wrapping her arms around Maura's abdomen and hugged her close.

"Here" Maura set the whole bagel on a plate and turned in Jane's arms to hand her the food. "A whole bagel, not sliced"

"Thank you" Jane pecked her cheek and took the plate from her. Jane always liked a bagel whole, it was just a tiny food habit.

Maura sliced hers and while to heated, gooey middle radiated viable waves she placed a thin layer of cheese upon one half, it melted into the dough easily.

While the two women sat at the island eating and discussing the day, a small thud distracted them.

Bass pin balled himself slowly but surely between the island and counter.

Jane laughed at him and Maura slapped her arm.

"He wants his Mommy" Maura slid from the stool she had been perched on and sat cross legged by the tortoise, he shrank into his shell at the fast movement but resurfaced when Maura cooed him out.

"I'm going to get dressed and this time please don't make me wear heels"

"You have no choice in the matter Janey" Maura shouted to her and comforted Bass.

Jane slid into the bathroom, brushing her teeth swiftly with the 'if Jane stops over' tooth brush.

She knew it was stupid, but she was jealous of a damn tortoise.

_Yeah, okay I just spent the night with Maura, but that damn turtle, hmph._

_He's not even interactive, he just trips me up and capsizes himself for attention, you don't see me rolling on my back and helplessly trying to get up. _

Jane shook her head and washed, splashing her face twice with cold water.

It was now a day until the twins birthday.

Jane still had no idea what to get them, unless they wanted a toaster she was stuck.

Jane peeled of her clothing and stepped into the shower, she was sure her best ideas came from taking a shower. 90% of the shower was spent thinking 10% was bodily cleansing.

Maura was showered and dressed by the time Jane resurfaced from the shower clad in a towel.

"Well someone was feeling philosophical" Maura toyed, sat on her bed happily dressed in a black off the shoulder cashmere jumper, with the sleeves neatly rolled up. Wearing a pair of grey leg hugging jeans with black suede ankle boots.

Jane pulled the duvet over Maura's head.

"No peeking this morning" Jane snapped and Maura pulled the offending duvet from over her head.

"Fine" she grabbed an issue of National Geographic and read an article on the behaviour of penguins.

A small cough ten minuets later signalled Jane was ready. Maura turned and smiled at the Detectives appearance.

Wearing a crimson blouse, the same jeans from the day prior and clutching the leather jacket Jane felt more like herself in the attire.

"I just might wear my converse" Jane toyed then winked and Maura's eyes widened.

"No!" Maura warned. "Don't you dare!"

"Maura, I don't plan to be sitting at my desk all day"

"I don't care, I will not let you go to work in those _things_"

"Maura, please" Jane's whining was cut off by her phone buzzing on the side table. Jane lunged to grab it, snatching the device from it's aggravated, clattering vibrations.

"Rizzoli"

Jane walked away from Maura for some space to talk.

"Isles" Maura answered sternly.

"Yeah sure"

"I'll be right there"

The calls ended abruptly. Jane glanced at Maura and shrugged.

"Come on" Jane slapped Maura's knee and put on her jacket while walking from the room. "I'll drive" she shouted back.

Maura clutched her phone and followed Jane from the house.


	11. Chapter 11

**Another chapter another day, I've been writing like a maniac. Hope you enjoy this.**

The lights on Maura's Lexus flashed, signalling it was open. The day was crisp and sunny, a few birds flew into the near by trees.

"Cavanaugh wants to see me"Jane tried to hid the irritation in her voice.

Maura frowned, opening the passenger door with a rough click.

"What?" Jane paused, her right foot frozen in mid air while getting into the car.

"I got the same message" Maura looked at Jane with heavy eyes.

"Well, I bet it's just stuff" Jane wafted a hand in dismissal and got in the Lexus. Maura shook of looming feeling of pressure and followed Jane's lead.

"Yeah sure, stuff" Maura was staring at the dash board, not blinking, tuning into the inner emotions, the M.E tried to fathom a reason why she felt a sudden wave of angst. Shutting the door with more force than necessary, Maura fell into her thoughts.

Jane picked up on Maura's concern, she too was feeling like something was stirring after the phone call had ended. Playing on the thought, Korsak's voice had sounded deeper, conveying a certain amount of seriousness to the message.

Jane sneered at her inner troubles and started the Lexus up, pulling out of the drive way she sped to the BPD building.

Jane guided Maura into the 'Brass' quarter of the police department, her hand on the small of Maura's back still didn't ease the M.E.

Jane chewed on the inside of her cheek after knocking on the door. It clicked open and the stocky man took in the appearance of the two women.

"Rizzoli, Doctor Isles, come in" his voice was wooden.

Jane let Maura in first, then followed her into the room. It stank of new layered carpet, Cavanaugh paced upon it. His blue shirt and red tie was a sore sight, the man looked wrecked already.

"If you don't mind, I wanna cut to it" Cavanaugh rubbed his greying stubble of hair while he stopped pacing.

"We think Kristen and Emma Bridge are in danger"

Jane rolled her jaw and Maura stood ridged.

"Go on" Jane urged, giving the man a narrow look. She held Maura's waist subtly, making sure Cavanaugh's line of sight stayed with hers or Maura's.

"We think Richard Bridge may have been involved with drugs"

Jane felt Maura tense under her touch.

"How involved?" Jane snapped.

"To the extent where his jet was blown up for a reason... we think they want the girls so they can hold a ransom for the money Richard owed them, there was a tip off early this morning, someone must have caught wind of the girls"

"After four years? Why didn't they strike?" Jane chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"They probably thought the girls were on the plane"

Maura gulped down the lump in her throat and drew a small breath. Maura felt sick, her family always seemed to be involved in such crude business. Doyle was just one example, making her fears of being 'bad' surface with a vengeance. The thought of Kristen and Emma being on that jet at six years old sent her dizzy.

"The drugs unit has got it the complicated part, but I just wanted to tell you, to warn you" Cavanaugh looked at the pair, Jane looked ready to kill someone, her eyes darkly looking back at him and Maura's face had drained of health.

"If these guys come after the girls..."

"I'll be ready" Jane flexed her hands and was sickeningly comforted by the weapon on her belt. Maura nodded slowly then spoke up.

"Will there be any patrol involved?"

"You didn't need to ask, I've got officers everywhere" Cavanaugh's words were supposed to prep Maura up to an extent, but she still felt the threat loom. Drug lords knew what they were doing, they had ways.

Jane rolled her jaw.

"Anything I should know about these bastards?"

"Rizzoli they wont think twice about shooting an officer"

"Good thing I already know what a bullet feels like" Jane felt anger infect her, her limbs wanted to lash out, she craved to punch something until the anger had drained, but that wasn't possible unless there was randomly a punch bag in the corridor.

Jane walked Maura out, grinding her teeth to try and stop the tension in her bones.

Maura walked ahead speedily.

"Maura where are you going?" Jane shouted to her.

"Getting _my_ children" Maura pulled the keys to her Lexus from her pocket. Jane shuddered at Maura's tone, it was gritty, angry, determined and over all powerful as it tore from her lips.

Jane ran after the M.E, shoving past people to get to her.

"Maura" Jane shouted after the woman, watching as her lover got into the Lexus. Maura was clutching the steering wheel tightly, looking straight forward.

"Jane" she snapped as the Detective opened the door to talk to her. "I want you to stay here, I want you, Frost and Korsak to find these men, I don't care if the drug unit is _handling _it, I want you to make sure they are disposed off"

Jane went ridged.

"Maura, disposed off?"

"You heard me Jane Rizzoli" Maura was still looking ahead and Jane stopped her from slamming the door shut.

"I will hunt them down Maura" Jane's voice became deep with hatred towards these men. Maura leant up and kissed Jane roughly, the contact scared the raven haired woman, it seemed desperate, angry, like this would be the last time they would ever see each other.

Jane pulled away and closed the door, with a sharp thud. Maura slammed her foot down and let her car screech from the car park.

Jane leant back and ran a hand through her hair.

She had work to do.

Walking into the pull pen she threw her jacket on to her chair, the force in which the leather hit the chair made it wobble. Frost was alerted in shock by the loud thud it made.

"Frost, Korsak" she barked and Frost stood up, he knew that tone all to well.

"Yeah" Frost replied and Korsak was at the Detective's side in an instant.

"What is it Janey?" Korsak witnessed the darkness in Jane's eyes.

"Frost, look into the Bridge's jet crash, Cavanaugh knows there is a gang relation, get on it"

"Korsak, look into Richard Bridge's background, as for me, I have to have a word with Maura's Mom"

Jane plucked her phone from her pocket and punched in the number, walking out into the corridor.

"Hello, this is Detective Jane Rizzoli" her voice echoed around her.  
>"<em>Jane<em>" Constance's voice was sharp.

"I'm calling to request your help" Jane tried to make herself sound less pissed with a formal vocabulary.

"_With what matter?_"

"The girl's safety"

"_What is happening?_"

"Richard got himself into something bigger than his wallet"

The line went quiet for a moment.

"_How can I be of assistance?_"

"I need you tell me about everything Claire and Richard were involved with, but I'd like if we spoke in person Mrs Isles"

Jane still felt a barrier between Constance, they just saw the world differently, the only common ground was Maura.

"_Of course Detective, I will be in Boston _"

"Mrs Isles" Jane clamped her jaw together and spoke through gritted teeth. "These guys will be moving fast if they want to get Kristen and Emma, I don't want to wait this one out"

"_Very well... I'll be in Boston at ten o'clock tomorrow morning, I will be able to see my Grandchildren on their birthday_"

"Grandchildren" Jane almost scoffed the word, the woman hadn't seen them in two years, Jane knew Constance wasn't good at the whole family package, but god damn that woman was a jerk at times.

"_I will be at Maura's abode at half past ten" _

"That works for me" Jane rolled her eyes 'abode' really? "Constance... thank you" Jane softened her voice, thanking the woman proved difficult, but wasn't impossible.

"_No problem, Jane_"

The call ended abruptly and Jane stuffed the device into her pocket. Jane strode down to the café and Angela's head shot up from icing doughnuts.

"Janey"

"Ma" Jane cut it short.

"What's happened Jane?" Angela dropped the icing tube, looking at her daughters angered expression.

"Tell Tommy to be around at Maura's tonight, I need him"

"I will" Angela nodded. "What's happened?"

"Kristen and Emma are in danger, I need Tommy to be with me"  
>"You bet he'll be there, we stick together"<p>

Jane walked away.

"I know"


	12. Chapter 12

**I've been spelling Jo Friday wrong! Oh my God... it's Jo not Joe … I feel like a moron … enjoy this chap, tell me if I made any errors, I've been writing this at night... my brain is fried.**

* * *

><p>The car ride home was eerie. Kristen shifted uncomfortably, the lack of conversation set her on edge. Emma was still shook up from Maura bursting into their class and flashing her medical badge to legitimately drag them out. No doubt everyone would ask about it in days to come, Emma cringed.<p>

Maura drove faster, her eyes narrowed and fists white, clutched around the wheel.

"Mom" Kristen started, Maura glanced at her daughter through the rear view mirror.

"Yes honey?"  
>"What's going on" Emma blurted, a little too loudly and stared at the back of her Mother's head.<p>

"Family business"

"We've never had to be pulled out of school for _family _business" Kristen pointed out harshly.

"Because family business has never been this urgent" sometimes Maura wished Jane hadn't had such a profound impression on Kris, she was bright to say the least but was forceful in getting information, much like Jane.

"Is someone hurt?" Kristen asked again, Emma shook her head at her sibling, urging her to be quiet, she respected that her Mother might want to concentrate.

"No" Maura pressed her lips into a tight line.

_Not yet anyway._

"Then what are we doing going home exactly?" Kris inquired, Emma shoved her sibling.  
>"Shut up" Emma hissed, witnessing Maura's fingers flex.<p>

"Why?"

"Maybe becouse _Mom_ doesn't want you to ask so many questions"  
>"But I wanna know"<br>"Ease up a little" Emma warned and Maura sighed at their bickering, she'd made them irritable, a motherly impression wasn't always the best.

"Girls" Maura snapped, silencing their angry mutterings. Forcing a smile upon her lips she spoke.

"We are going home to keep this family normal" Maura tried to pick her words calmly, while looking ahead, fixated on the map in her mind of how to get home. In times like these her natural instinct to go home was out of whack, so to speak.

Kristen crossed her arms and glared down at her feet. Emma peered out of the window, watching how the light bounced off the glass and created an orange and red line of circles.

Pulling into the driveway the Lexus purred and faded into silence as Maura took the keys from the ignition and looked back at Kristen and Emma. In turn the siblings were looking opposite ways from each other and from Maura.

"Listen, I just need you two to be good" Maura unclipped her seat belt to turn fully.

Emma and Kristen rose their heads to look at Maura. Only then the M.E got a sense that they really were _her _children.

Kristen's brooding often resembled her own at that age. Maura used to hate it when she didn't know things, Kristen simply mirrored that as a memory, but a living one not just as a blur of emotion.

Emma's care for other people and concern for them made Maura feel fuzzy, like her whole body puffed up in a blanket. Maura remembered being that careful, trying not to butt in, attempting to please people with a shy sense of charm. Maura's babies sat in front of her, the girls were a tiny biological replica of Maura, nothing ever indicated that they came from Richard, nothing ever assured her that Claire was their former mother. The two girls had inherited everything that was Maura Isles, apart from the mischievous spark Jane had ignited in Kristen, Maura had always had it, but it'd been suppressed through rules and a shy quality, Jane had ushered that away in Kristen from the moment they met. Maura smiled, feeling the waves of affection pass through the simultaneous movement of the 26 muscles it took for the smile to spread across Maura's lips.

Kristen flicked a wave of hair from her face and frowned at Maura.

"Momma, you're staring" Maura had picked up on that tendency to, her daughter hated it when people stared at her, probably something linking back with her being an identical twin. People staring always seemed to make the young girl flinch, surprisingly, Kristen was the more talkative, drawing attention but contradicting it by hating the matter.

"Sorry honey"

Kristen wriggled under Maura's gaze. It wasn't so bad if it was Jane or her Mother, but when it was someone else, she felt goosebumps crawl on her skin like parasites.

Emma bit on her bottom lip and unclipped her seat belt.

"Can we go in or are we going to see how long it takes for Kris to explode?" Emma teased her sibling happily and Kristen pouted.

"Mom!" she reached out to flick her sister when Maura raised an eyebrow at the need of physical dominance.

"Don't provoke her Emy and Kris, please don't flick your sister"

"She started it!" Kristen wagged a finger in Emma's direction.

"Well I'm ending it, out" Maura instructed and got out of the car first to shepard her daughters into the house.

Maura closed the door firmly behind her, jumping at Kristen gave a loud shout.

"Uncle Tommy!"

Maura span around to see Tommy stood happily with both girls in his arms.

"I don't want to know how you got in" Maura held up her hands and chuckled.

"The back door was easy enough" Tommy shrugged, his thick accent charmed Maura into hugging him.

"I missed you Tommy" Maura kissed his cheek and watched Kristen sneer at the affection.

"Why do you all insist on kissing and hugging? I mean a hug is okay, but kissing, nah" Kristen objected, setting off to find Bass.

Emma curled up in the arm chair and watched the pair talk, she enjoyed watching people, observing was her favourite pass time.

"Ma called saying Jane needed me, I thought she'd been here" Tommy shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Tommy, it's fine, I think I'll have to tell you about the current situation while Emy goes and changes" Maura turned dashingly to her daughter and Emma pouted trudging off, sour in reaction.

"Ma sounded pretty shook up, what's going on?" Tommy sat on a stool at the island and leant in as Maura spoke.

"They are in danger" Maura angled her head in the direction of the girls room. "Richard was involved with illegal substances and after four years they decided to come and claim their money back" Maura sighed heavily and leant back as she sat on a stool.

"Jane wants me becouse?"

"Because I think she needs her brothers. Frankie is already on alert at the former crash sight for any activity and you well, I think she trusts you to protect us" Maura rested her hand up on Tommy's and he nodded.

"You got it Maura" Tommy spoke softly and a smile twitched the corners of his mouth.

"They can't know" Maura whispered and Tommy rubbed his thumb over the back of Maura's hand.

"Play it cool, I got it" he assured and Maura pulled away.

"Have you eaten?"

"Nah"

"Well, I have a new toaster that works miracles" Maura smirked.

* * *

><p>Jane sat at her desk rolling her jaw, with a hand rested on her forehead. The bull pen rumbled with constant waves of clicking and the sound of shouting.<p>

"I can't just sit here at wait, it's either they find us or we find them"

Korsak glanced over to her while rooting through files, giving her a sympathetic look.

"Frost, have you got any links?" Jane peered over the obstructing monitor on her desk and Frost rubbed his eyes.

"I'm looking, it keeps trailing to a dead end, I get one tiny note then it falls to shit"

"Keep trying Frost" Jane tried to mould her words as assuringly as possible.

Jane shifted, her mind toying with her, the scar on her hip twinged into life.

Jane knew she had to do something or the tiny collection of injured tissue would plague her.

"Jane" Korsak stood from his buffer zone of files to look at the Detective. "Did you say the drugs unit was handling it?"  
>"Cavanugh said so yeah" Jane mumbled.<p>

"Frost, hack into the drug unit's data base" Korsak hushed and Frost span around, he chair going off balance for a second as he did so.

"You want me to what?"

Jane was grinning now, a tiny mischievous grin that only often appeared if it meant breaking rules.

"Do it, I'm not getting all the information from scratch, if they have already got it" Jane ran a hand through her hair, wincing as her fingers caught a few knots.

Frost was intently typing away, his eyes glued to the monitor.

"I'm going to do background checks on every person Kris and Emma are in contact with" Jane flung herself at her desk and Korsak frowned, peering into one of the files.

"Well I got one thing up on our guy" Korsak tossed the file to Jane.

"Wait you mean to say all that junk is his files?"

"Nah, his side of the family were... pretty busy people"  
>"I bet they were" Jane sneered and plucked a few papers from the file.<p>

"Weed when he was fifteen" Jane looked up unimpressed.

"What? He probably kept a good lid any business like that after"

"Nobodies 'lid' in air tight Korsak, we'll find something more recent, people slip up"

Frost slammed his hands down on his desk, making the other two jump.

"GOT IT!" Frost hollered in victory.

Jane dead panned him.

"Why don't you just show everyone the frikin' pass word?" Jane rolled her eyes and started from the closest people to the girls apart from herself and Maura, their teacher.

* * *

><p>Maura cradled a mug of coffee, the heat prickled her palms. She was sat in the arm chair, watching the screen but not really taking in the obscurity Phineas and Ferb offered.<p>

Tommy was sitting with the girls sandwiched between Kristen and Emma as they giggled. He was also not interested in the cartoon, he was just bothered about the woman sat in the arm chair.

"Maura" Tommy started, breaking the M.E's aimless staring.

Maura snapped out of her thoughts and smiled weakly at Tommy.

"Yes?"

Tommy stared at her for a brief second, his eyes wide.

_Shit, what was I gonna to say? I was gonna say something, damn Tommy say something._

"Nice coffee" Tommy replied meekly and looked down at his mug on the coffee table, the liquid steamed.

"It's fair trade" Maura looked down at her own mug and peered into the murky liquid.

"Good" Tommy dragged the word and tapped his hands on his knee, looking into his lap.

_Say something and something that's not so damn helpless. God just say it._

"Maura, can I, talk to you... in the kitchen" Tommy jerked his thumb back in the general direction.

Maura nodded and set her mug down on the way there.

Kristen watched the two adults move and she narrowed her eyes, peering from over the sofa to see what they were doing.

Tommy had one hand on the cold marble of the counter and the other stuffed into his pocket.

"During my... time, I overheard a lota stuff about gangs, drugs, whatever you wanna call it, all I wanna tell you is that they have people in corners of society that you wouldn't dream about Maura" his eyes were dark, Maura was cast back strongly to the look that Jane usually had when she was talking like this.

Maura nodded slowly.

"Should I tell Jane?" Maura twisted the ring on her finger.

"Nah the smart ass already knows about that... it's just, they way they operate... you gotta get inside there heads to know what's happening. Maura, the God damn post man could be one of them"

"Tommy get to the point"

"Don't let Kristen and Emma outta your sight through the next coupla days"

"I wasn't intending to" Maura gave him a stern look. Tommy nodded and shifted.

"So how've you been, with the girls an all?"

Maura knew what Tommy was really asking _are you and Jane still together?_

"Yes, the girls are fine, Jane and I are also fine... well, were fine"  
>"<em>Were<em>?"

"This" Maura motioned around them, symbolising the situation. "Is never good on a relationship"

Tommy puffed out the air he'd been holding and tapped his fingers on the counter.

"Don't I know it" Tommy looked away and Maura winced, she knew how Tommy felt about her, he'd always had a held flame for her, Jane owned a camp fire.

"Tommy" Maura cupped the side of his face and his large brown eyes creating a hole in Maura.

"I get it Maura" Tommy smiled, but it was pained. "Want me to make some banana bread?" Tommy glanced over to the fruit bowl for a distraction. Maura was taken back by the random comment but nodded, she knew it would help them all relax.

* * *

><p>Jane picked at a limp, soggy looking salad and shoved it away from her.<p>

"Seriously, can you still not get into their files?" Jane groaned irritably, Frost had gotten past one fire wall, that had been half an hour ago.

"Patience is a virtue" Frost snapped.

"Patience and virtue went out the window when you started mumbling rhyming words" Korsak's voice seemed muffled from behind the wall of files that kept mounting.

"Okay, so far I've got seven people to look into and none of them have got a criminal record, I'll have to ask Maura about Robert's friends"  
>"If he had any" Korsak added, holding out a file containing past achievements.<p>

"Huh?"

"Well he got A's in everything since he was about five"  
>"A in play doh sculpting, real character building" Frost chuckled to himself.<p>

"Kristen threw a wad of that stuff at me when we first started to live around each" Jane smirked. "She has one good throwing arm I can tell you"

"Probably from Maura" Frost's tapping blocked out half of his words.

"Speaking of Maura, I'll call her" Jane took the chance and bolted from the room, her phone clutched in her hands.

Jane tapped her foot as she waited for the M.E to pick up.

"_Jane_"

"Maura, how are you doing?"

"_I'm fine, Tommy is here by the way_"

"Right, that's good. Are the girls okay?"

"_They're getting restless, but it's fine, have you gotten anything?_"

"Just a sore butt and square eyes" Jane stifled a yawn as she leant against the wall. It was only mid afternoon and she was wearing out.

"_'Square eyes' doesn't exist Jane_"

"Well the ache in my butt does and I'm frikin' worn out, nothings coming up that's solid"

"_Keep trying_"

"We're trying, I'm trying... I called your Mom" Jane trailed off, rubbing her eyes.

"_Saying what!_"

"That she needs come, it's urgent"

"_Jane why didn't you consult me before?_" Maura's voice was sharp, snapping Jane out of her groggy state.

"I didn't think I needed it considering that, oh well, ya know, some fucking gang is after our kids"

"_Our kids?_" Maura's tone was harsh. "_That maybe true, but Jane calling my Mother!" _

"Hey,_ I_ rang her up to ask a favour, that proves _I_ have the guts to get past my 'thing' with her"

"_Thing, really? You mean to say dislike_"

"Maura, I don't dislike her, she's the woman who raised you, I have to like her. We just don't see the world the same" Jane sighed and bit at her lip. "Sorry Maur for doing it, I shoulda said..."

"_Jane, what's done is done... cleaning with occupy me_"

"She's your Mom, Maura... let her be around you and a very Mauraish environment"  
>"<em>Ish?<em>"

"Be a Mom around her Maura, prove to her that you can be a Mother"

"_You want me to show my own Mother up?_"the horror in the M.E's tone made Jane smile.

"It seems legit"

"_Legitimate_"

"Don't correct me when I'm tried"

"_Don't cut off words to form slang while I'm stressed_"

Both women smirked.

"I'll call you when I get the first thing"

"_Please do_"

"Bye Maura"

"_See you later_"

The bleep that sounded when Jane finished the call signified the never ending research to get back to. It was like a nasty Mother in law, Jane guessed she'd be facing a much worse Mother in law tomorrow morning than a cluster of background history and files. At least files only risk paper cuts, not a lecture on art and achievements.

Jane groaned and trudged back into the room, grimacing, but determined.


	13. Chapter 13

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>The Boston skyline darkened, the street lights began to flick on one by one as the sun melted behind the skyscrapers. The traffic that had been a constant hum had eased and the night air became chilled.<p>

Maura glanced out onto her drive way, her eyes scanned the perimeter.

From behind her, the sound of Kristen and Tommy arguing made a small smile creep across her lips.

It was a pointless debate, it was simply due to the fact Tommy had said Batman was the best superhero, Kristen had objected and was shouting about Wonder Woman.

Maura hugged her arms around herself and walked back into the loudness of her family. She never thought a family she'd produce would be loud and actually very much like a family. Maura's upbringing had scarred her with impressions of elegance and poise it was a drastic reform that her own new family would be the opposite.

Maura loved it, it gave her a chance to relive her childhood to gain a actual perspective.

Tommy laughed when Kristen pouted and resorted to prodding him.

Maura looked around for Emma who was out of sight and ear shot. A spike of fear melted into her blood and chilled it for a brief second, than rationality soothed her. Emma couldn't have gone far she was locked into her own house.

Maura walked down the hallway and pushed Emma's bedroom door open.

"Emy?" Maura's tone was soft and travelled like lace to the girl huddled in her bed, staring at her feet, a frown across her features.

"Momma?" Emma looked up, coming out of the trace her thoughts had inflicted. Maura sat by her and rubbed soothing circles into her back, pulling her into her side.

"Worrying?" Maura whispered and Emma nodded slowly.

"I just want to know Mom, what's going on? Is something going to happen?"

"Knowledge can leave you with a tendency to have an over active imagination" Maura stated and looked her daughter into her large brown eyes, the pools were glistening with threatening tears.

"Honey" Maura hugged her daughter close. "Nothing is going to happen that we can't deal with"

"So there is something going on?" Emma's face distorted into dread. Maura winced.

_How am I going to word this? Words, words, words. _

"Some bad men got involved with our family"

"Why did you even get involved with them?" Emma stated angrily.

"Not me personally Emy, not even Jane, not even my Mother, a man who used to be related to us got involved, he probably didn't know how bad they were, now we're having to deal with it"

"What an idiot" Emma paced her words slowly intending them to be laced with emotion.

Maura shifted, Emma had called her Father an idiot, right now, Maura would have called him something more colourful.

Did she even remember Robert? It was likely still had memories of him, but they'd be vague.

"Emy, don't concern yourself with it to much, Jane and I have it sorted, we'll always protect you"

"We're like birds" Emma blurted and Maura rose her eyebrows.

"Birds?"

"Well, birds are monogamous and are insanely protective over their young. And, and... you and Jane show it all the time, I mean Jane is like the male bird and you're the female... Jane also courts you, much like a male bird"

Maura giggled at her daughters rush of words.

"You know I love you, don't you?" Maura kissed her daughter's head and hugged her close.

"Yeah, Momma, you tell me all the time"

"That's becouse I do and nothing will ever make me stop"

Emma hugged Maura close and nuzzled her face into the crook of her Mother's neck, gaining as much adoration and displaying as she could.

"You also cheep like a baby bird when I don't feed you, do you want pasta?" Maura chuckled and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that'd be nice" Emma sank back onto her bed and handed Maura a picture.

"I drew it in class" Emma blushed and Maura studied it, it looked disproportionate, but still held a charm, Emma would prove to be a good artist.

"It's beautiful" Maura grinned down at the sketch. "Grandmama would love to see this, she's coming tomorrow for your birthday" Maura assured and Emma grinned, she hardly ever saw her.

"Really?"

"Yes" Maura kissed Emma's forehead again and took the picture. "I'm going to put this on the fridge, I want to look at it while cooking"

Emma beamed and followed her Mother out of the room.

"Kris!" Emma ran over to her sibling. "Grandmama is coming tomorrow!"

Kristen sat bolt up and peered over the sofa to Maura.  
>"Really Mom?"<p>

"Very much so" Maura called back and Tommy raised his eyebrows, lugging his body from the sofa he walked over to Maura to see if she needed any assistance.

"What you making?"  
>"Pasta with a rich tomato sauce and cubes of chicken"<br>"Cubes?" Tommy smirked.  
>"It makes it look charming" Maura added innocently.<p>

"I bet it does"

Maura gave him an unimpressed glare, she knew where he got his sarcasm from.

While clearing the plates, Maura's phone rang and clattered on the counter.

Maura dashed to it, her limbs electric with anticipation of news.

"Jane" Maura almost shouted the woman's name.

"_Whoa, okay, you nearly blew out my ear drum_" Jane's husky chuckled sent a warmth into Maura's heart, hugging it.

"Sorry"

"_Well, I got something, Robert was involved with Mr Logan_"

"You mean..."

"_Yeah, we think he is the informant to the gang, I think he only informed them now becouse he knows how much they mean to us now, it wouldn't mean as much when you'd only just gained the parental role_"

Maura leant on the counter and nodded along with Jane's words, watching as Kristen and Emma hit each other with pillows.

"Sorry, I just have to... girls don't hit each other with the pillows!"

Maura giggled as she heard Jane's laugh melt down to her.

"_I think my family may have rubbed off on them, sorry 'bout that_"

"I love it Jane, it's a happy distraction, better than silence and discussions about tea"

"_But I thought you loved it_" Jane's sarcasm made Maura's heart melt, she just wanted to hold the Detective all night until this whole thing blew over.

"Are you going to interrogate Logan?"

"_Already got him, he's sat in interrogation right now, fuckin' bastard_"

"Language Jane"

"_vaffunculo bastardo_" Jane mused and Maura felt something stir with in the pit of her stomach and it sent electricity to her heart.

"I didn't know you spoke Italian" Maura tried to calm the heat that crawled up her neck in a flush.

"_My Ma used to swear in it when she argued with my Pa, you pick it up_ _after countless years of broken plates_, _I only know the bad words_"

Both women laughed and Maura heard Korsak shout something to Jane.

"_I gotta go, looks like I'm gonna be kicking culo_" the way Jane's voice laced into the accent had a profound effect on her.

"Get home soon Janey"

"_Don't worry, I'll make this guy crack, then I'll be home to swear in Italian all you want_"

"Lovely" Maura giggled and looked at Tommy who in turn was looking at her.

"Bye Janey"

"_See you M_"

The call ended and Maura walked over to the sink to wash her hands, the was the closest to cold water she had with out running to the shower.

"You okay? You seem flushed" Tommy's voice by her ear made the M.E jump. His eyes were intent.

"They possibility have the informant" Maura gulped and gave him a charming smile. Tommy jerked his chin in a action of recognition.

"That's good" Tommy's voice was deeper.

"Very" Maura edged away from him and walked over to sit with her daughters, who were still hitting each other with pillows.

Tommy pounded to the counter and hissed to himself.

_Why Maura? Why do I have to go for Maura? I mean she's a Mom and lesbian, maybe just for Jane?... great. _

Maura let Tommy sleep in the guest room, it was a good job Maura had picked a house with four bedrooms after all.

Maura lay back onto her own bed and lay looking up at the ceiling, Jane wasn't back and it was nearing ten at night. The girls had Tommy close to them, so if they heard anything Tommy would alert her.

Maura rolled over, feeling the space next to her had never felt so empty. Shifting across the bed over to Jane's 'side' she rested her head upon Jane's pillow, it still smelt like her, the hints of coffee and spice made her nuzzle into it.

Maura closed her eyes with ease and dozed off, clutching the pillow.

Jane had her hand hoovering close to her gun, the darkness was light up by the yellow glow of a street lamp. The poor visibility hindered her, Jane felt her heart thud in her ear. She knew she was building the tension up herself, but she was sure as hell she felt someone watching her from the side garden. The steady crunch of her converse made her flex her hand more, the simple sound of another foot step could mean the world.

Edging past Maura's Lexus she glanced in the glass, it reflected her image in pristine form but Jane scanned behind her, looking for the whites of someone else's eyes. Jane gritted her teeth as she heard something move, like the drag of a boot. Her ears placed the sound near the front window, she gulped and unclipped her gun. Sure enough, a large man in a leather jacket was crouched, a gun glistened in his right hand and he rose to his feet to peer in. Jane sucked in a breath and aimed the gun at his head, at the close range, his brain would probably rain on the window.

"Give me a reason not to shoot you" Jane barked, her eyes fixed on his bulky form. The man turned around and shot, the sound echoed along the deserted neighbour hood.

Jane dodged the fire and ducked behind the Lexus, pressing her back to the cold metal.

"Who the fuck?" the man started, but another shot, a foreign reverberation surprised the both of them.

"Shit" Jane hissed and peered around the bonnet of the Lexus.

The man was now dead on the grass. Jane's face was lit by the street light, making her features pale and deathly.

Jane rolled her jaw and sucked in a breath.

The crunch of footsteps insured another intruder, this guy was headed straight for the front door. Jane leapt from her cover and aimed her gun at the lanky bald guy about to break his way in.

"I wouldn't fucking try" Jane spat and flexed her finger on the trigger, it clicked and she felt the motion of gun jerk back and the bullet spring from the barrel.

A grunt and yelp confirmed it had hit his chest, he collapsed to the porch groaning. Jane panted and scoped the edge of the house, pulling her torch from her belt and shinning it. She knew she was attracting attention but it'd keep them away from her family.

Maura lay in bed, unable to move. She'd heard the two shots, she wanted to wrench her body up and protect her house, but her body was ridged. Maura closed her eyes, feeling her heart thud, she had to get up, she had to do it.

Tommy burst into her room, red in the face. Maura leapt from the bed and scanned his face.

"We gotta fucking bale" he panted and was clutching what looked like a Beretta Px4 Subcompact, aka, a police issue gun.

"How did you get that"

"My bro is a officer, I snagged it off him he had it in his draw" Tommy snapped. Maura ran into the girls room, almost kicking the door open. Tommy heard the front door click open and flexed his hold around the gun.

Tommy walked down the hallway, his bare feet supplying him with a certain amount of stealth.

He heard foot steps and fixed his aim. Slipping through the moon light house, Tommy held his breath so he could hear his surroundings.

The creak of another footstep made his heart hammer against his ribs and his chest heave.

"I'd show yourself kid" a deep voice broke the silence and Tommy span around when a light flicked on.

Jane noticed the light flick on inside the house.

"Shit no" she hissed and a shot fired at her, bouncing off the side of the house. "What the fuck?"

Jane caught a glimpse of her attacker, breaking into a sprint she caught him and shot at his calf. The bullet took a chunk, around the size of a marble from his right calf, blood soaked the jeans in seconds and he collapsed to the gravel of the path.

"Stay down, drop your weapon!" Jane's husky bark echoed through the dark. She pressed her foot down on the burning wound, making him writhe, the bullet sunk down into the flesh, making a fountain of blood pool. The attacker tossed his gun across the yard, it landed with a thud. Jane picked up the gun quickly and stuffed into her holster, she didn't want any other rouge getting a hold of it.

Jane kicked him in the ribs, feeling one of the ribs crack with the force, this insured that he wouldn't be going anywhere.

"If you dare fuckin' move, you're calf won't be the only thing with a hole in it" Jane growled, a sneer upon her features.

Plucking her phone from her belt.

"It's Rizzoli, I need back up, ASAP, Doctor Isles's house" she quit the call fast and jogged back around. The door was hanging open.

"Shit"

Jane heard another two shots, but from inside the house. Her body jerked.

"Maura!" Jane's voice became rough and raspy. The world moved in slow motion and Jane aimed her gun into the house. A body fell to the floor upon her entrance.

Doyle and Tommy stood panting looking a the now bloody man at Jane's feet.

"Doyle?" Jane barked and Maura was stood behind the two men, wide eyed. The M.E's hair was wild and her face flushed.

"Maura" Jane's eyes scanned every face now in front of her.

"What?"

"Jane don't fuckin' move" Tommy and Doyle both raised their guns.

Jane winced, she felt a hand clamp on her shoulder and she inhaled. Maura snapped, she'd seen Jane held like this once before, she wasn't going to stand and let it happen again. Jane had to live to see the morning.

Maura grabbed Tommy's gun, making him yelp. Doyle flinched.  
>"No Maura" his dark voice didn't break the M.E's aim.<p>

Jane gritted her teeth as his arm strangled her.

She still had her gun.

"Logan, let her go" Maura snapped, Jane wrestled with him, grunting as his grip got tighter.

"They'll kill me, they want the money" he shook and Jane knew Logan wasn't strong, he was just tall. Jane inhaled sharply and taking the lanky man off guard, she made her body into a dead weight.

The sound of sirens whistled through the door and Jane clamped her free hand around the back of Logan's neck, making the man yelp. Doubling her body over with force, she managed to flip him over. His body landed like a lump of meat and Maura pointed the gun to his head, her eyes burning. Jane then noticed he'd snagged the spare gun from her holster in the struggle.

Logan stood up shakily and pointed it at Maura.

"Bad idea buddy" Jane sneered darkly, Doyle now had his gun primed at Logan, so did Jane and Maura.

"If you dare shoot her..." Jane trailed off, her breathing deepened. She felt numb, her limbs ached.

Maura stared at him.

"Mom what's going on?" Kristen fell from her room, terror on her sleepy features. Maura span around, a cold shiver ran down her spine. Doyle and Tommy span around.

"Kris get..." Maura shouted, rushed in her efforts to get her to safety.

Logan twitched and took his chance.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you for dropping the reviews, they urged to make me write faster. This is the last chapter unfortunately, but don't go crazy, I'm writing a follow on from this! I can't help it, I'm adoring the way these stories turn out. I'm pretty sure you guys wont mind another one... right?**

Time broke.

Nothing was moving fast, a ripple of hatred infected and intoxicated every cell in Jane's body.

Click, bang, shatter.

The first bullet shattered the back of Logan's head, the flesh rippled and blood sprayed from his cracked skull. He wobbled, his body crumbled to the floor in a flail of British limbs.

Jane stood over his lifeless body and shot again, straight through his heart. The sound of the bullet pounding his chest, the jerk his body made and the spurt of blood that rained out of the wound left Jane sickly contented.

Maura fell to the floor, writhing from the bullet that had been fired seconds prior. Jane fell to her aid, the Detective's gun clattered to the floor and Tommy struggled to get Kristen back into the room, wrestling against the hysterical child.

Logan was a poor shot.

The bullet had grazed her leg deeply, blood rained down the wound in a small river. Maura panted, trying to wriggle from the pain. She knew it wasn't major but it stung. The bullet had created a small, trench like wound in the soft tissue of her left thigh, the edges of the wound were blackened from the bullet residue. Jane estimated the wound to be as deep as a centimetre, the length was that of her index finger. Jane pulled her shirt off and rolled it up to compress the wound, tying it tightly.

"Hey, Doyle!" Tommy snapped and Doyle turned with pained eyes. "Fucking help her" Tommy barked. Doyle ran into the kitchen, pulling out the contents of the cupboards and draws to find the antiseptic ointment, knowing Maura she'd have some.

Applying it upon a kitchen towel then carrying the bottle over, he crashed to his knees to aid his daughter. Jane glanced at Doyle and gently pulled down the shirt so he could apply the ointment. Maura knew what they were doing was right, she just couldn't place her words to correct them if they did something wrong. Jane held onto her hand and felt it shaking.

"Maura, it's going to be okay" Jane spoke shakily, her voice cracking. Kristen's cries broke through the house. Tommy held the girl to him to stop her assault. Kristen shook as she sobbed into his side. Tommy looked over to his sister, Jane looked broken, her eyes were red raw and her skin was pale.

"Janey" Tommy shouted over, still struggling to get Kristen into her room. Jane looked over at Kristen, the Detective whined, sounding much like a wounded animal.

"Shit, Tommy get her in her room" Jane instructed, her voice booming.

Tommy picked her up and walked into the room, locking the door firmly behind him.

Maura cried out as the wound began to burn. Doyle heard the sirens and the red and blue lights shone through the window.

"I'm sorry Maura" he backed away and ran for the back door.

"Doyle!" Jane shouted after him, her mind told her to run him down but Maura was her priority, her heart told her that this was the place she was needed most. Maura had sweat beading her forehead, making her hair clammy.

"It hurts" Maura hissed and Jane felt tears trail down her face. She was scared, she was so, so scared but she had to be the strong one, she couldn't break down.

"I know baby"

Maura felt a tiredness attack her limbs, she was suddenly insanely tired, like her body would just shut down.

"Just concentrate on me" Jane's voice was soft.

Maura opened one eye and gulped.

"It's nothing major... I'll be fine" Maura panted and Jane manoeuvred Maura gently so her head rested on her knees.

"I don't think this place will be" Jane joked, laughing shakily to cheer Maura up, to be the happy distraction from the pain. "The kitchens busted, Doyle ripped out nearly all the cabinets" Jane spat the name Doyle. "And I think there's a injured guy out back and two guys dead on the front lawn, oh and the two guys in here"

"I didn't know we had that much company" Maura chuckled through her pants.

Jane let out a deep chuckle.

"Really? This is the only time you can actually tell a joke?"

Three police officers ran into the sitting room and called in a paramedic.

"We'll need a hella lot of body bags" the paramedic ran back out to fetch more help.

"Somebody get that damn medic back in here" Jane shouted and clutched Maura's hand tightly.

"It's gonna be okay M, I promise you"

* * *

><p>Jane was resting in the arm chair next to Maura's bed as she was tended to.<p>

Angela had taken the girls away, probably to Frankie's house. Jane was wrapped large grey knit sweater Tommy had tossed at her when they'd piled into the ambulance and she still felt every little breeze affect her, like her flesh was exposed.

The false white light hurt Jane's eyes as it lit the cream walls and bounced from the grey flooring.

"Dr Isles, you're lucky it hit the soft tissue" Dr Park grinned at Maura and checked over the dressing again.

"I think it hurt more with shock..." Maura had purple rings around her eyes and her skin was still pale. "What time is it?"

the M.E's voice was thick and heavy due to much needed sleep.

"Around two thirty in the morning" Dr Park left the room on that note, he too looked tired.

Jane was holding Maura's hand loosely. Jane still saw dots of blood on the back of her own hand and some on Maura's palm from where she'd clutched her wound instinctively.

"I'm sorry" Jane whispered, resting her head lazily on the back of the chair, she couldn't find any strength to sit normally, she was scared if she did she'd end up in tears, seeing Maura like this had hacked a chunk of her heart out.

Jane's chest ached as she looked up at the ceiling.

"Why are you apologising?"

"I didn't shoot him fast enough" Jane shrugged, trying to distance herself in her regret.

"Jane" Maura heaved herself into a sitting position, wincing as she felt the skin tug. "Don't blame yourself, I know it's only natural to dwell on it, but please don't" Maura rubbed her thumb over the back of Jane's hand. Jane looked her in the eyes.

"I just feel like..." Jane lugged her body and lay on the bed next to Maura, positioning herself so Maura could nuzzle into her without hurting her injured limb. "Maura, I'm terrified" Jane gulped down, feeling the thickness of tears threaten.

"Jane" Maura faced the Detective and kissed her quivering lips. Jane snuggled into Maura's side and sobbed into her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around Maura's petite body and held her close.

"I don't want to loose you Maura" Jane rasped and Maura hugged her back, kissing into her hair. "It happened again and this time, it was you who got hurt, I don't think I can... take it"

"Let it out" Maura whispered and Jane fell apart.

"Maura" Jane sniffed and sat back up, wiping her eyes. Maura cupped Jane's cheek. "I'll live with you... I want to be there to protect you properly, I want to be there for Kristen and Emma, it's stupid but I think they need me too"

"We all need you" Maura drew their faces closer. "I need you"

Jane pressed her lips to Maura's the contact soothed Jane. Letting Maura's lips move with hers Jane felt the pain in her heart subside. She knew where she should be for once in her life, she knew where she had to be to make her life function. It was always had been and was going to be at Maura's side.

"I think you should wear baggy jumpers more often" Maura stated pulling away and Jane grinned down at herself. Her nose was still red, making her look cute with her dishevelled hair and large brown eyes.

"This is coming from the woman who hates me to look _scruffy_"

"Scruffy can be cute" Maura smiled, it lit up her once troubled eyes. "And sexy"

"Sexy?" Jane raised her eye brow and leant in closer once again.

"Only on you it can do both" Maura chuckled and kissed _her _Detective.

Maura was discharged at ten later that day. Jane happily helped her walk out, she even looked good on crutches. Angela had brought some of Jane's old clothes previously so Maura could walk out looking presentable.

Clad in a black cotton blend long sleeved tee and a pair of jeans, Maura giggled to herself during the car ride to Jane's apartment.  
>"What are you laughing at?" Jane tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.<p>

"My Mother is coming to _your _apartment" she started to laugh harder. Jane frowned, but still held a smile.

"Why is _that _funny of all things?"

"Because she'll get to see that Mauraish home you were talking about"

"At my apartment?"

"You're part of me so why wouldn't it be a Mauraish environment?"

"Because" Jane chuckled "you haven't attacked it with a mop yet"

Maura's grin faded and moulded into horror.

"You mean to say it's not clean?"

"Whenever is it clean?"

"When we get there you are cleaning it top to bottom"

"...But Maura" Jane whined and Maura gave her a scolding look.

"Don't use that tone with me Jane, you are cleaning and that's final"

"Christ, you sound so, Mom like, it's freaking me out"

"It's my job Janey" Maura's voice turned cute and she rubbed Jane's right bicep.

"Wait... does that mean the turtle is coming too?" Jane span her head around the honey blond.

"Yes"

"Really? So the perv turtle will be in my house, great"

"Perv turtle?" Maura scoffed in disbelief. "He's a tortoise"

"I don't care, if he starts to stare at us while we're... well"

"Oh so you've already planned out what we'll be doing?" Maura cocked an eyebrow and gave Jane a sexy smirk.

Jane looked straight ahead flustered.

"Well the girls presents are at my apartment"

"What did you buy?" Maura went along with the swift change in conversation with ease.

"Just bits and bobs... why what did you buy?" Jane stepped on the break as they came to a red light.

"It's a surprise"

"Ah" Jane chuckled.

Korsak was sat in Jane's kitchen, with Jo on his lap and Bass wondering around the new surroundings.

"Doc, you're okay" he beamed and Jo bounded over to Jane.

"Hi Jo" Jane knelt down and rubbed the terrier behind her ear.

"I'm fine thank you Vince" Maura smiled looked down at her crutches. "Apart from these"

"You look bad ass" Korsak chuckled, his belly laugh making both women grin. "Oh, Kristen and Emma's presents are on the coffee table, Frost got them some stuff too"

Jane glanced at the table, he was true to his word, it was clustered with parcels.

"Thanks Vince" Jane pulled him into a hug and Maura did the same, to the best of her ability.

"I have to head off, I've got stuff to do" Korsak left with a small wave and Maura turned to Jane.

"You promised to tidy" she smirked and Jane lugged her body to grab the hoover.

"I hate hoovering" Jane mumbled as she plugged it in. "I hate tidying"

"Get used to it" Maura sat carefully on the sofa and pulled out her phone to text Angela to bring the girls over.

In the midst of mopping the kitchen Bass wondered in front of Jane's aggressive scrubbing.

"What the hell?" Jane stopped and let him pass. She poked her head around to see if Maura was busy, luckily she was taking a call. Jane sniggered then mopped his shell. Jo trotted over and barked at Jane for the action.

"What? Oh so you're now his little friend?"

Jo grunted and guarded Bass as he wondered.

Jane huffed and continued to mop, glaring at Bass. Jo trotted along with him.

"You can't have babies!" Jane yelled at them, jerking her hands in their direction. Maura looked at Jane, who from her angle appeared to be shouting at herself.

Maura swiftly ended the call.

"Jane?"

Jane span around, the floor was damp and the tread on her shoes were poor. Loosing balance Jane slipped and fell onto her back. Maura grabbed her crutches and hobbled over.

Jane lay on her back with her arms crossed and a pout.

"That _thing _is out to get me I swear" Jane aimed her words at Bass who was now banging into the counter. Jo nudged the tortoise in the right position.

Maura let out a loud aw.

"They're helping each other" Maura made large puppy eyes at the two animals.

"Unlike you with me" Jane dead panned and got up groggily, her clothes were now soaked.

"As you would say, you just turtled yourself" Maura stated a matter of factly and Jane narrowed her eyes and mocked her voice in a high pitched nagging tone.

"I do not sound like that!" Maura jabbed Jane with her crutch.

"You do" Jane gave her a charming smile, reaching no further response from Maura than another jab.

"That's improper use of medical equipment" Jane teased and jogged across to the sofa, Jane sank down onto it and looked around her apartment. For once is was actually pristine.

Maura stood blocking her view with a frown on her tired features.

"Don't mock me" Maura huffed and Jane looked up at her, running her licking her bottom lip Jane grinned.

"Don't give me that look" Maura warned but Jane had already ran her hands up to tug on the belt loops of Maura's jeans.

"We have half an hour to kill" Jane tilted her head, toying with the M.E.

"Jane" Maura tried to resist but those eyes promised love. Dropping the crutches Jane stood up to stabilise the M.E. Running a hand into Maura's hair, Jane kissed a trail down Maura's neck. She felt Maura's contented purr through the skin.

"Half an hour" Jane's husky whisper inflicted electricity within Maura. "Oh what could we, you and I do in half an hour?" Jane mused, chuckling through her words.

Maura let out a small gasp as Jane nipped the skin.

"I hate you at times Jane Rizzoli" Maura moaned and she felt Jane smile into her skin.

"I though I was cute and sexy? How can you hate that?" Jane kissed a trail back up and kissed Maura softly.

"It's very easy" Maura played with the stands of hair at the back of Jane's neck, pressing their foreheads together. Jane rubbed their noses together and Maura kissed Jane again, running her tongue over Jane's bottom lip to gain a further stage in kissing.

Jane happily granted it and ran her hands down to cup Maura's behind.

Maura moaned into Jane's mouth and Jane rubbed her tongue with Maura's.

Angela opened the door with the spare key and let the girls in first.

Kristen recoiled, her emotional state set off it to a flurry upon witnessing her Mother and Jane in very personal contact, she found it offending that Jane would kiss Maura while she'd been injured.

Emma blushed and turned to Angela for refuge. Jane and Maura broke away, blushing.

"Ma! Really?" Jane flung her arms about in frustration.

"Angela..." Maura touched her lips and hobbled to sit on the couch.

"I didn't realise you two were busy" Angela smirked and looked down at irritated Kristen.

"Kris why don't you tell them what I got you?"

"I'm going to go and feed Bass" Kristen frowned and found the heaven that was Bass. Emma winced at her sibling's reaction.

"Grandma got me a diagram book on birds... well it's their an..ana..." Emma frowned, struggling with the word that had escaped her.

"Anatomy" Maura aided the young girl and Emma nodded.

"Now, we have presents for the both of you!" Maura voiced, Emma sat by Maura, fully aware of her injury. Kristen didn't show, Angela caught Jane's line of sight and glanced in the direction of Kristen. Jane nodded and touched Maura's shoulder, passing through the words

_going to calm Kristen down. _

Maura nodded and handed Kristen her neatly wrapped present.

Yells of happiness sounded from the sitting room as Jane sat next to Kristen. Jane rested her back on the cabinet, Kristen blanked her.

"You're too young to be moody" Jane ran a hand through her hair and look at the girl who was feeding Bass a few sticks of celery.

"You're too old to be kissing in a sitting room" Kristen snapped and Jane raised an eyebrow.

"Kris, sorry" Jane crossed her arms.

"Yeah, you know she got shot last night and then you're kissing her like nothing happened"

"It's better to move on Kris" Jane suddenly knew what was happening in Kristen's head. "Listen, I know it's pretty messed up seeing your Mom like that"

"How would you know about it being messed up?" Kristen hunched over.

"Because I've actually been shot" Jane stated and Kristen shrugged. She had to admit, that was kinda bad ass.

"So what? You just went and kissed Mom after it?"

"I couldn't"

"Why not?" Kristen still wasn't facing the raven haired woman.

"Your Mom and I weren't together then"

"I thought you'd been together forever" Kristen, turned her head.

"Nah, all I wanted while in the hospital was your Mom, I wanted her to make it better" Jane rested her head back and sighed.

"I don't like guns" Kristen pulled her knees to her chest. "I don't like... bullets"

"They're pretty screwy"

"Then why are you a Detective then?"

"I want to protect people, but I don't harm them unless I need to"

"Then why did that guy harm Mom?"

"He was the bad guy, he wanted to purposely hurt your Mom, I wanted to protect her"

"Did you want to protect us? Mom said you wanted to"

"Yeah, Kristen, why would you think I wouldn't wanna protect you?"

Kristen was silent. The sound of Bass chewing on the celery was the only sound between the two. Kristen bit on her lip and drew a shaky breath.

"Jane" she mumbled.

"Yeah?" Jane looked at Kristen's slumped shoulders.

"Thank you Jane" Kristen leapt into the woman's lap. "I love you" Kristen hugged Jane tightly and Jane closed her eyes hugging her back.

"It's okay baby, I love you too"


End file.
